Cold tolerance of cool growing Catasetum?

[katsucats]

I'm certainly not going to test this any time soon, but I was looking at climate information of many cold tolerant orchids like Barkeria spectabilis, Euchile citrina, Laelia anceps, Epidendrum parkinsonianum, Oncidium ghiesbreghtiana, etc... and I found one commonality, that they all come from Mexican pink-oak forests between, say, 3000-8000 feet in elevation.

However, there are also some cool growing Mormodes and Catasetum overlapping in this range, like Mormodes badia, buccinator, pardalinata, for example.

So then it naturally sprung to mind whether there are exceptions to the over 50F rule that could possibly stay outside if kept dry, since winter lows are probably in the 40s in some of this area, and a number of the other orchids have been said to be able to survive all the way down to above freezing.

I wonder if anyone has any stories to share, possibly about accidentally leaving these out

[isurus79]

All of my Catasetinae have experienced temps down into the low 40's or even mid 30's a few times each year. I think it hurt the Cycnoches (or the dry air, not sure which), but the Catasetums were just fine.

[Jeff214]

Originally Posted by isurus79

All of my Catasetinae have experienced temps down into the low 40's or even mid 30's a few times each year. I think it hurt the Cycnoches (or the dry air, not sure which), but the Catasetums were just fine.

Oh they are? Interesting. Since Fred grows the Catasetinae in the hottest part of his green house, I assumed they were all cold sensitive. Maybe I will try growing one or two outside...

[estación seca]

Look up the origin of individual species. The Mexican cloud forests mentioned above may go down into the low 40s but almost never freeze. A rare freeze causes significant damage to the forest and the trees.

Many Catasetinae are from areas with much warmer winters than these mountain habitats. I wouldn't try keeping these species too cold. But they all like hot humid summers.

[Roberta]

I have two divisions of a super-vigorous Ctsm expansum. A friend who lives in a similar climate has grown it outside. I have once piece in the GH, one that will stay outside under the eaves. We'll see... If it does OK, the other piece (and another Ctsm expansum) are likely to stay out next year. Space is tight...