Hardiest epiphytic orchid?

[Roberta]

L anceps is hard to beat... tolerates temperatures down to freezing, and 100 deg F/40 deg C with little or no shade. And also tolerates considerable drought - water needs are very modest.

[Shadeflower]

australian dends might be temperature tolerant but when I think of hardy I think of hard to kill and I wouldn't necessarily include those.
That goes for a lot of the ones mentioned here. My hardiest orchids are generally my hybrids compared to the species growing next to them anyway.

Any orchid can be killed easily... I only have an L anceps seedling but so far I haven't killed it yet so seems to be hardy

[Leo H.]

You're all right! It's just the differents points of view depending on local climate:

I would love to grow epiphytes on my trees, but then again, some tropical orchid growers with many plants on their palms dream of growing cypripediums, Ophrys or some cool to cold-growing miniatures which is almost impossible for them but very doable for me.

You gotta work with what you have - but that doesn't mean a little experiment here an there will hurt

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

Any orchid can be killed easily... I only have an L anceps seedling but so far I haven't killed it yet so seems to be hardy

To not kill a L. anceps, don't be too kind. I have found that they hate pots. If you must pot it, use clay and well-drained medium. But for me, any that have been potted, they putt along slowly until they hit the edge, then take off when their roots can run free. As much light as you can give them. (I grow them in nearly full sun, and I don't think that I have ever had toasted leaves... something that I can't say for most other Cattleya tribe plants)