Cyrtopodium flavum

[isurus79]

This species used to called Cyrt. polyphyllum or Cyrt. paranaense. It thrives in full Texas sun and heat (seriously, no shade needed) and is more compact than other Cyrtopodium relatives. It will also die if given a hard dry rest in winter and can be treated like Cattleyas (i.e. less water, but can't stay dry for months on end. Its a terrestrial (like most species in this genus) so I grow it in a clay pot with 50/50 peat/sand mix. It gets watered daily as temperatures reach and surpass 100 degrees.

Cyrtopodium flavum by Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis, on Flickr

Cyrtopodium flavum by Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis, on Flickr

Cyrtopodium flavum by Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis, on Flickr

[Orchid Whisperer]

I'm speechless, but can still type . . . WOW.

Beautiful, clear cheery yellow. Well grown! Where is it native to?

[Dollythehun]

Ditto OW! Unbelievable! How large a plant us it? Didn't you post that last year, Steve? I seem to remember quite a discussion on them.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

I'm speechless, but can still type . . . WOW.

Beautiful, clear cheery yellow. Well grown! Where is it native to?

Thanks! These guys are from Brazil.

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Ditto OW! Unbelievable! How large a plant us it? Didn't you post that last year, Steve? I seem to remember quite a discussion on them.

I'd say the plant is about 1.5-2 feet tall, which is tiny compared to their cousins! lol

I did post this same plant last year.

[estación seca]

I got Cyrtopodium polyphyllum 22991 this spring from H&R in a 3" / 7.5cm pot, to replace the previous one rats ate. It is larger than the previous one, and has an old flower stalk clipped at the base.

I planted it in pumice, in a wide dish-shaped clay pot, keep it wet to moist, and put it outside. When temperatures were around 100 F / 38C the older leaves began developing sunburn, but the plant began pushing new growths. I had to move it to partial shade. Then the javelina unpotted it, but didn't eat it. Maybe it tastes bad to them.

I'm guessing the older leaves, since they didn't develop in my kind of heat and sun, can't take it. I'm hoping gradually to move it to more and more sun as the new growths progress.

Many people obsessively remove dried sheaths from orchid pseudobulbs. If you live in an area where sunburn is a possibility I would not recommend this. The sheaths no doubt protected the pseudobulbs on my plant from fatal sun damage.

I put it out in the sun just for the photo. I don't know what the weed is. It has very fuzzy roundish leaves, and at first I though it is our native devil's claw (Proboscidea sp., Pedaliaceae.) However, this plant now has a small cluster of buds near the tip, and devil's claw doesn't do that this small.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by estación seca

I planted it in pumice, in a wide dish-shaped clay pot, keep it wet to moist, and put it outside. When temperatures were around 100 F / 38C the older leaves began developing sunburn, but the plant began pushing new growths. I had to move it to partial shade. Then the javelina unpotted it, but didn't eat it. Maybe it tastes bad to them.

I'm guessing the older leaves, since they didn't develop in my kind of heat and sun, can't take it. I'm hoping gradually to move it to more and more sun as the new growths progress.

I wonder if the leaves will be able to take the sun plus AZ dryness? I'm curious to see how it turns out!