I will admit that I'm biased: I'm a Brassavola enthusiast. For one thing—and perhaps the most important thing—B. nodosa
possesses my favorite fragrance in the world. You can have your roses
and gardenias, your citrus flowers and even your night-blooming jasmine.
Give me the haunting scent of a B. nodosa any night. Perhaps
even more bewitching, these pure white, ghostly flowers only give up
their scent at night, as if it was a secret pleasure they are afraid to
flaunt during the day. And that, of course, is not where their virtues
end. The Brassavola orchids
are frequent bloomers, with multiple flushes of flowers every year. In
some cases, they seem to bloom year-round, and what their flowers give
away in size (they're relatively small compared to the more showy Cattleya and Phalaenopsis),
they make up for in sheer quantity. Finally, these are not especially
challenging orchids to grow—if you can grow any of the epiphytic orchids
with success, you can grow these.
Taxonomy and Structure:
Brassavola orchids belong to the Laeliinae subtribe. There are about 17 species of Brassavola; they are native to the American tropics. The standard and most common Brassavola is the Brassavola nodosa, which grows readily in baskets, mounted, or in containers with orchid mix. Brassavola orchids have long, thin tubular leaves that can reach up to a foot in length and sometimes appear unrolled or flattened. Brassavola orchids and their hybrids
have much smaller pseudobulbs than other epiphytic orchids, so the
leaves often appear to arise directly from the rhizome without an thick
pseudobulb. The typical Brassavola flower features an enlarged, scoop-like lip with petals and sepals that have narrowed into spear-like petals. Brassavola nodosa
flowers are white to attract moth pollinators, but the plant has been
extensively hybridized to create flowers in a multitude of colors.
Light:
Brassavola orchids typically light fairly strong, bright light, even with some direct sunlight. A healthy Brassavola
has mottled leaves, with slight reddish marks on the leaves. Leaves
that are deep green typically signify a plant that isn't getting enough
light, so the plant should be moved to a brighter location. Brassavola prefer 2,500 to 4,000 fc light intensity. A south-facing window is frequently a perfect home.
Water:
The tubular leaves on Brassavola
are designed to reduce water transpiration, making them more drought
tolerant than many other orchids. As a result, the plants need less
humidity and less frequent water than many other epiphytic orchids. As
with all orchids, the frequency of watering depends on your growing
culture. Mounted Brassavola orchids can be watered several times a week during the growing cycle, while potted Brassavola
orchids should be watered thoroughly weekly. Drooping or wrinkled
leaves signal water stress and you should water the plant as soon as
possible.
Fertilizer:
Brassavola
orchids send out several flushes of leaves throughout the year and
healthy plants are year-round bloomers. As a result, the plant should be
fed
throughout the year with a weak fertilizer solution (1/4 strength
weekly). Many growers fashion "fertilizer balls" from nylon hose and
controlled-release pellets, then tie the ball of pellets over the plant,
thus providing a small dose of fertilizer every time the plant is
watered. Nylon fertilizer balls will last a few months.
Temperature:
Brassavola
prefer intermediate to warm temperatures and will bloom better on the
warmer end of the scale. Nothing smells as wonderful as a blooming Brassavola on a summer's night.
Blooming:
Brassavola orchids are moth-pollinated, so the flowers on the Brassavola nodosa are a pale white to attract pollinators. Brassavola orchids are year-round bloomers with multiple flowers and flower spikes per flush. It's not uncommon to see a Brassavola
so covered with flowers it looks like a flower ball. Provide adequate
light and warmth and you will be rewarded with several full blooms
throughout the year. Brassavola are related to Cattleya and Rhyncholaelia, so they have been extensively hybridized to create many new species, including the lovely and common Brassolaeliocattleya orchids or BLC. A personal favorite of mine is the Stellamizutaara Kelly 'Lea,' a complex hybrid arising from a cross between the Brassavola nodosa and the Cattleytonia 'Keith Roth'.
Potting and Media:
Brassavola adapt well to mounted culture and will thrive mounted on fern plaques or in mounted baskets. Basket-grown Brassavola
can quickly outgrow their original basket and form a specimen plant
that completely covers the original container. Don't bother repotting or
remounting larger Brassavola, but feel free to take divisions
and rapidly multiply your plant stock. If you're potting them in
containers, use a standard fast-draining orchid mix, such as those
composed of expanded clay pellets, charcoal and pine bark chips.
Grower's Tips:
Brassavola
are generally a beginner's level orchid in terms of their difficulty to
grow. This is mainly because they are more drought tolerant than many
species and can handle more neglect than fussier species (vandas, I'm
looking at you). Unfortunately, for such an easy orchid with so many
great attributes, they are woefully under-represented in the mainstream
orchid trade. Look for Brassavola orchids at specialty greenhouses, orchid shows or consider purchasing them online. Brassavola
are fast-growing orchids and will quickly begin to yield divisions to
increase your collection or make your orchid-loving friends very happy.
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