Lycaste deppei

Also known as: Deppe's Lycaste or Maxillaria leiantha Lycaste leiantha Deppia mexicana Lycaste deppei var. major Lycaste deppei var. pallida Lycaste deppei var. praestans Lycaste deppei var. rosea Lycaste deppei var. viridis in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Chiapas - Mexico Honduras Veracruz - Mexico

General Information

Deppe's Lycaste is a small to medium sized sympodial cool to warm growing epiphytic or lithophytic orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Mexico and Honduras. It is named after the English Orchid Collector in Mexico in the 19th century.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 60cm. Each new growth has numerous elliptic lance shaped leaves that grow to 10-50cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 5-10cm

Flowers

A single long lasting, fragrant blossom appears during Autumn

Fragrance

The orchid is fragrant.

Blooming Season

• Autumn

Substrate(s)

• Coarse
• Fine
• Bark
• Spaghnum Moss
• Perlite

Care Notes

This orchid goes into a dormancy phase during winter, during this phase it is best not to provide water unless the plant is starting to look thirsty. The lack of water increases the chance of flowering in spring, and also reduces the likelihood of any rot forming. Do not resume watering until new growth has appeared and is growing strongly.

Often a period of intense growth occurs after dormancy. During this time the amount of light, water and fertiliser the plant receives will directly impact the amount of growth that occurs during this time, and in the case of seedlings, will reduce the time required to reach maturity.

It's recommended to heavily reduce the water amount at the middle to end of autumn to trigger dormancy. Leaves on older bulbs will begin to drop during this time while the newer bulbs continue to mature until terminal leaves appear at the tip of the pseudobulbs.

Repotting can be done any time of the year though it's best to do it in early spring when new growth is appearing as this also means new roots will appear to help the plant anchor into the new media and offset any damage to established roots during the repotting process.

 

Fragrant:

• IsFragrant

Climate

Grows at low to high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 0mm to 203mm per day, heaviest in June and lightest in March. Humidity ranges from 63% to 79%, highest in September and lowest in April. Temperature ranges from 10C to 26C, highest in April (15C to 26C) and lowest in January (10C to 21C).

Watering

These orchids are sensitive to excessive watering and should only be watered when they look thirsty. Water infrequently and ensure that the roots are dry before watering. Keep an eye on them especially during hot weather as overwatering can lead to rot, whereas underwatering may result in wilting or shriveling, which while unattractive, will not kill the plant.

Fertiliser

These orchids do not need to be regularly fertilised and roots may be sensitive to salt build-up, dying back and therefore impairing the plants growth or even killing it.

If fertilising, use half to quarter of the recommended amount of fertiliser. If they receive fertiliser as part of a collection, be sure to flush out the pots regularly with fresh water and monitor the roots by checking how much resistance is given by the plant when nudged in its pot or mount. If the plant becomes wobbly or loose, repot in fresh mix or rinse the media/mount thoroughly and do not fertilise for at least 3 months.

This plant is a heavy feeder year round, full strength fertiliser can be used. Fertiliser can be applied heavily year round. This plant is sensitive so apply fertiliser sparingly at one quarter recommended strength or less. Use a high Nitrogen fertiliser during Spring, Summer and Winter. Use a high Phosphorous fertiliser during Summer and Winter.

Potting

It's best to observe the root system when repotting and use that as a guide:

A plant with a short root system will do better in a shallower pot with a fine mix, or mounted on fern or cork supplanted with a good amount of moss or similar material.

A plant with a long root system often does well in a pot filled with moss or fine media, mixing in perlite and charcoal is always beneficial to reduce the likelihood of the mix becoming soggy and keeps it fresh.

A plant with a coarser long root system can be potted in a deeper pot, but with 2/3 coarse material such as bark, expanded clay, or coco chips and topped with moss or similar material. This will allow the moisture to remain inside the pot but give the roots air as well.

Use water retentive media such as moss to prevent roots from drying out quickly This plant does very well in baskets or suspended pots This plant does well mounted to Cork slabs or Stone slabs. Repotting is best done annually.