Cyrtopodium polyphyllum

[isurus79]

Not a great pic, but cool flowers none-the-less! This one is potted in a 50/50 sand-peat mix and smells like soap. I harvested some pollen for....the future.

Cyrtopodium polyphyllum by Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis, on Flickr

[No-Pro-mwa]

Lovely blooms.

[u bada]

that's great!

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa

Lovely blooms.

Originally Posted by u bada

that's great!

Thanks! I think as this plant gets bigger, its going to put on some really amazing shows.

[isurus79]

Flowers lasted close to a month.

[isurus79]

So this one has decided to surprise me by putting on an additional two growths. Definitely not expecting this and am hoping for more blooms!!

[estación seca]

Must be the season. Just today I noticed a tiny new growth on the one I bought in February.

It's been outside the entire summer, receiving some late afternoon sun. We had something like 30 days over 110 F / 43C this year, including reaching 118 F / 48C a couple of times. It got beat up pretty badly, and hasn't tried to grow until now. I think that was because it only had old roots. The new growth should make more roots, and I expect it to take off.

[katrina]

My graniticum is also making a new growth. I've been growing this thing since the summer of '08...purchased as a small seedling...and this is the first time I've ever gotten a 2nd growth. We've been very, VERY hot this year...don't know if that's the cause or if it's a case of the plant finally being mature enough to produce multiple growths. ?? Maybe I'll get lucky and get it to bloom now.

I grow mine in full sun during the summer...but I've been doing that for at least 3 yrs. Always moist until it heads into dormancy.

This thing is so big (fast approaching 4' now) that I'd be hard pressed to accommodate more than the one but if I ever find a pink...it's moving to Ohio.

[estación seca]

I've seen unidentified Cyrtopodium species in Bahia and Minas Gerais states in Brazil. We were there on a plant trip sponsored by the Cactus and Succulent Society of America. The focus was on succulents; the botanists on the trip weren't familiar with orchids, and could identify them to genus level. Besides, it was winter, and they were leafless.

That part of Brazil gets summer rain only. It is very dry all winter, not even getting much dew. In winter the areas with Cyrtopodium were in the upper 80s F to 90s F / 28-36C by day and somewhat cooler by night. The plants grew in direct sun between large black boulders. They were leafless in the winter, but had pseudobulbs 2-4 feet / 60-120 cm tall.

I asked what summers were like. It rains almost every day, and temperatures can reach 130 F / 55C in the shade. I reconfirmed this number several times to be sure I understood properly. There is a little grass around them during summer, but most of the plant would be in full sun all day long.

Off topic, but probably some here grow cacti and bromeliads... These same growing conditions apply to almost all thicker-stemmed Brazilian columnar cacti, and many of the bromeliads. By this I mean cactus genera Arrojadoa, Cipocereus, Coleocephaocereus, Facheiroa, Micranthocereus and Pilosocereus. Also bromeliad genera Bromelia, Dyckia and Encholirion.

A lot of people don't give these plants enough heat, sun and water, and that is why they have problems with them. These plants enjoy - not tolerate - enjoy - brutal Arizona summers in full sun.

A friend in southern California stands his Dyckias in dishes of water all summer. I never could grow them before I learned this, because I was letting them dry between waterings. And after seeing plants in Brazil, I began moving all my columnars into the sun for the summer. They responded magnificently.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by estación seca

A lot of people don't give these plants enough heat, sun and water, and that is why they have problems with them. These plants enjoy - not tolerate - enjoy - brutal Arizona summers in full sun.

Mine is thriving in fully Texas sun and heat!! Amazingly hardy plants!