Masdevallia coccinea

Also known as: The Scarlet Masdevallia or Masdevallia harryana h.v. illustris Masdevallia militaris h.v. ignea Masdevallia harryana h.f. lilacina Masdevallia harryana h.f. carnea Masdevallia coccinea h.f. violacea Masdevallia harryana h.v. splendens Masdevallia harryana h.v. regeliani Masdevallia coccinea h.f. xanthina Masdevallia coccinea h.f. sanguinea Masdevallia coccinea f. alba Masdevallia harryana h.v. reginae Masdevallia coccinea h.f. rosea Masdevallia denisonii Masdevallia coccinea h.f. aurea Masdevallia coccinea var. lindenii Masdevallia harryana h.f. coerulescens Masdevallia harryana Masdevallia harryana var. gravesiae Masdevallia denisoniana Masdevallia militaris Masdevallia coccinea var. harryana Masdevallia coccinea var. militaris Masdevallia lindenii Masdevallia harryana var. atrosanguinea Masdevallia harryana var. miniata Masdevallia lindenii var. grandiflora Masdevallia lindenii var. harryana Masdevallia coccinea var. conchiflora Masdevallia harryana var. decora in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Cundinamarca - Colombia Departamento de Norte de Santander - Colombia Departamento del Huila - Colombia

General Information

The Scarlet Masdevallia is a sympodial cool to warm growing epiphytic or terrestrial orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Colombia.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 5-40cm. Each new growth has numerous leathery thick, erect, elliptic, oblong shaped leaves that grow to 1.2-30cm long

Flowers

Numerous long lasting blossoms appear during Summer, Autumn and Spring

Blooming Season

• Autumn
• Spring
• Summer

Substrate(s)

• Coarse
• Bark
• Charcoal
• Treefern
• Spaghnum Moss
• Perlite

Care Notes

These orchids like to be watered regulary, especially during warm weather, and prefer a well draining mix or also do well mounted, provided they can be watered daily or even many times a day.

These are quite a forgiving orchid, there are no special requirements to get this orchid to flower, just good care and consistent conditions. Larger plants may be more fussy and can react poorly to change; a poorly timed repotting, a pest infection or an unusually hot day can set them back for a couple of years. However, even plants that have been treated poorly can thrive, and if they are set back they often recover much stronger then they would otherwise be.

Climate

Grows at high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 20mm to 94mm per day, heaviest in November and lightest in January. Temperature ranges from 7C to 14C, highest in August (8C to 14C) and lowest in September (7C to 13C).

Watering

These orchids prefer a wet-dry cycle between waterings, they should be watered frequently but only when the moisture is approaching dryness, where the pot feels light and/or the media looks dry. Keep an eye on mounted orchids in warm weather as they may dehydrate quickly.

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.

Use balanced fertiliser year round. Apply fertiliser regularly at half strength year round. This plant is sensitive so apply fertiliser sparingly at one quarter recommended strength or less. Use a high Nitrogen fertiliser year round. Use a high Phosphorous fertiliser during Summer.

Potting

These plants can be sensitive to repotting though should not require repotting regularly. Repotting should be done when the mix has broken down to the point that it doesn't absorb water or holds onto water for far too long, usually the plant shows a decline in growth as well.

The mix should be free draining, with a blend of 30% inorganic ingredients such as coarse sand, gravel or perlite, mixed in with about 70% organic ingredients such as peat, leaf litter or decomposed bark. Avoid commercial potting mixes as they can vary wildly and may contain "wetting agents" that can hold onto water for loo long, causing rotting and stunted growth.