Orchid Photo Album by SyuTyuSen

November 1999.

Aspasia Epidendriodes

The dark, evergreen foliage of the tree-dwelling Asp. epidendroides makes it valued as a year-round house plant; it is easy to grow and produces long-lived flower. Its pseudobulbs are 2 inches broad and almost 6 inches tall; two leathery leaves almost 1 foot long issue from the top of each. In spring and summer, one or two flower stalks rise from the base of each pseudobulb and bear 1 1/2 inch-long blossoms, from 2 to 12 on a stalk; the flowers last for five to seven weeks. Colors vary from white to green, with lavender to brown markings. The lip is generally white with lavender or purple markings and has a yellow center.

HOW TO GROW. Asp. epidendroides requires intermediate temperatures of 55 degrees to 60 degrees at night and 65 degrees to 75 degrees by day when it is actively growing; in winter, temperatures should be 50 degrees to 60 degrees at night and 60 degrees to 70 degrees in the daytime. Maintain high humidity of 50 to 70%. This orchid's light requirements are unusually low; it can be grown on a window sill or under 1,500 or fewer foot-candles of artificial light for 14 to 16 hours a day.

Mount Asp. epidendroides on a hanging slab or cork bark or tree fern or pot it in a mixture of 7 parts fir bark, 1 part redwood bark, 1 part perlite and 1 part coarse peat moss. During the growing season, keep the medium moist but not soggy, then give the plant a month's rest without letting the pot dry out entirely. With every third watering, fertilize the plant using the high-nitrogen formula such as 30-10-10 for potted plants and a balanced formula such as 18-18-18 for slab mounted plants. In each case dilute the fertilizer to one half the strength recommended on the label. Report aspasias when new roots are starting if the bark mixture has begun to deteriorate and fails to drain well. Propagate new plants at the same time by dividing the plant into clumps, each containing three or four pseudobulbs.

Time Life Plant Encyclopedia