P. niveum difficult?

[Tim P.]

Hey everyone. Just was wondering what you guys thought about paph niveum. I think it is one of the cutest paphs ever but have seen mixed reactions to its growability. Some say it is easy, others say hard... So what say you ? Thanks.

[NYCorchidman]

I have heard that they are easy given that they get rather strong light and high temperature.

Then again, when people say that certain plants are easy or tough, they have to say why and what kind of conditions they are growing them. Otherwise, it's all useless and add to the confusion and frustration I guess.

I have a hybrid of niveum (I have four of them), which is a cross between Greyii (angthong var. alba x niveum) and niveum.

I can really see why they are warm grower. They did not do anything for the entire fall into spring and my place stays fairly warm.
Now that the weather is getting really warm ( well, it is cool now again in NYC but we did have some crazy summer like weather earlier as well, right?)
all four of them are growing like crazy!

Mine get strong sun on and off throughout the day along with my leucochilum.

hope this gives you a little bit of hope.
Just get one ore four, and find out!

[MrHappyRotter]

I'm not much of a brachy fan, and thus I don't have any brachy species. I have tried my hand a few of their hybrids (crossed with paphs from other sections) over the years, with mixed results.

The people I know who've been successful with the group, including individual species, seem to grow them differently than their other paphs. I believe they're typically grown warm year round, wet in the growing season but allowed to dry out more than other paphs when not growing, and typically in courser growing media than their tiny sizes would otherwise suggest. I've seen them grown well by folks who swear they need brighter than average light, conversely by folks who grow them in deep shade, and pretty much everything in between.

But like you, I've not heard a consensus on whether they're easy or hard, just general agreement that some or all of the species and primary hybrids need specialized conditions (i.e. observe a dry season, keep warm). I suspect like with many other "hard" plants, if you find the right key(s) to growing, niveum and other brachys become "easy". Sometimes finding the right conditions are a matter of luck, sometimes you have to experiment, exercise patience, and be willing to lose a few plants before you get it right.

Hopefully a true expert with some first hand experience can chime in with an analysis and some pointers. I've seen niveum popping up with more availability recently, and I've always wanted to try out concolor. I love mini-paphs, so perhaps it's time for me to pull the trigger.

[NYCorchidman]

So true!

Many people here say even maudiae hybrids are tough for them. I don't know what to say to that. hahaha

Regarding the light for brachy's though, they are high(er) light than many others. Deep shade is no no.
I believe this is rather confusing area when people say bright, low,,,,, as one person who grows their paphs near the bench of their bright greenhouse may describe it as deep shade when it is still really bright, and then some readers might take deep shade as like dark corner of the kitchen (like I do, who wouldn't?lol) and go, what??? are you talking about orchids or ferns? ok, even ferns need a lot more light than dark corner of the house, right? lol

I don't know how mini is mini for you, but the only true mini sized species in the brachy group is leucochilum. All others can get as big as, or larger than typical maudiae hybrids.

Leucochilum stay tiny while the flower can be quite big.