Trichophilia suavis

[Connie Star]

I haven't posted for awhile but now I have an orchid to show. I'm living about half the year in Atenas Costa Rica and I have a number of orchids here. One of my most successful plants is a Trichophilia suavis which I bought in flower last year. A friend who has a large shade house with a sprinkler system fosters my 10 or so orchids for me when I'm in Massachusetts. This plant doesn't flower for more than a couple of weeks, It has a lovely fragrance.

[charlesf6]

A beautiful plant & a very lucky you!

[estación seca]

Beautiful!

What's the temperature and humidity range through the year where the orchid grows?

[Connie Star]

According to my book "Orquideas de Costa Rica" it is an epiphyte that grows in wet forests from 400-1600 meters so I would say it tolerates a wide range of not too hot temperatures. Where I am, on the western edge of the central valley is at 900m and we have a long dry season but I water all my orchids every other day. It can get into the low 90s here but not often.

[estación seca]

Thank you. Do nights cool down? Is there a lot of seasonal temperature variation or not much?

[Connie Star]

Nights are definitely cooler than the days- maybe the high 60s, rarely as low as the high 50s if there is a cold front. It will get a little hotter in the next month or so, but nights are never above the low 70s. The rainy season is cooler but mainly it's the daytime temperatures that are cooler, maybe low 80s at most. It is very pleasant. National Geographic once declared Atenas to have one of the 10 best climates in the world- mainly I think because it doesn't rain that much except in the rainy season, which is referred to here as the green season. I actually prefer it as I do not tolerate the heat. No one has air conditioning here- it's not needed with the breezes.