rupicolus laelia

[Hera]

This is a group that I am interested in but I haven't been able to get much info on. Such as how do you know if a Laelia is a rupicolus. I haven't found an all inclusive list anywhere. I have seen some info on culture, but a book would be great. Can anyone chime in with info on websites or books that are informative?

Or, can anyone pass on their own invaluable experience with this group?

Greatful,
Hera

[orchidbingo]

Originally Posted by Hera

This is a group that I am interested in but I haven't been able to get much info on. Such as how do you know if a Laelia is a rupicolus. I haven't found an all inclusive list anywhere. I have seen some info on culture, but a book would be great. Can anyone chime in with info on websites or books that are informative?

Or, can anyone pass on their own invaluable experience with this group?

Greatful,
Hera

Here is a link to an interesting article on rupicolus Laelias. Hope this helps.

The Other Jewels of Minas Gerais - Brazil's rock-dwelling laelias

Olympic Orchids has started offering a selection of these for sale.

bingo

[Hera]

Wow, that was a nice article. Thanks. I'm going to print it and read it more closely. It did list several species, enough to peak my interest.

[whygreenberg]

Hey there, Hera! Rupicolous Laealiae may just be my all time favorite orchids. I have four, and I'd be plunking down more moolah for more of them if I had the moolah. Thankfully they don't take up much space.

In addition to the lovely link Bingo posted, here are a couple more for you:
How to Grow Rupicolous Laelias
Rupicolous Laelia Potting Demonstration

They like *a lot* of bright light—often full direct sun. They don't like too much water or too much humidity which can cause their growths to be soft and week. They also like really good air movement, which helps them deal with the full sun and keeps moisture from sticking around too long. Their roots do not like to be disturbed and can be difficult to reestablish. But potting in non-organic medium like granitous rock helps keep from needing to repot often.

Wish I could point you to more info. But that's the basics as I've come to understand it. Hope it's of help!

[Hera]

Again thanks, I just printed off all the pages. What is a good nursery to buy from?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Andy's Orchids. They have bazillions of them for an affordable price.

Ecuagenera

Floralia

Orquideas del Valle

[daveh_sf]

I'm also interested in trying rupicolus laelias, but have a question. Do any of you have experience growing them mounted on sticks, cork, or tree fern? I've read that it's possible, but are they harder to grow than in gravel or lava chips? The links in the above postings don't really say much about that. I grow other laelias on sticks with good results.

[whygreenberg]

Daveh— I think it's possible they could grow ok mounted, depending on how moisture-retentive your mount was. The trick would be to make sure they are not getting too much water/moisture. These little guys prefer to grow really pretty dry. Of course, they aren't cacti. But I'd just watch to see how long the mount and roots stay moist after watering.