Restrepia striata &/or brachypus
 

I visited Al's Orchids over Mother's Day weekend and picked up a couple of plants. I have a Stelis morganii and a Restrepia striata, I see they have changed this name to brachypus though my tag says striata.

This Restrepia is in a pot of moss, had a bloom when I first brought it home and two buds. There is one bloom left now. I see several members are growing this plant, anyone growing it without a greenhouse or terrarium? I'm thinking of just growing it in a shady, east facing window in my kitchen. I have a terrarium I could add it to but wanted to try it without.

The Stelis morganii I've put into a small wood basket with moss and it hangs in the kitchen window. It is blooming as well. I'm just not sure about the Restrepia?

Stelis morganii
 

This is the Stelis morganii. It is blooming and a nice size plant.

My 7 restrepias are sitting on humidity trays in a semi-sunny south window that's breezy.Still cool enuf but once hot air occurs they'll be moved.Some are in clay pots,others in plastic.Most are potted in s/m but a few have treefern and s/m.That stelis is very nice!

DeaC, thanks for your response. Good to know your having success growing this way. My Restrepia is in a small plastic pot, plan to use clay instead. My kitchen window is a big bay so I've got choices as to the exposure for it. The blooms are so cool I may have to get more of these.

My R brachypus grows in a terracotta pot in a mix of chopped sphagnum and seedling orchiata bark. Indoors in winter, I invert the lower half of a plastic soda bottle over it to keep humidity up (plastic holes cut in the bottle for some air flow) and I grow under fluorescent lights. Summer, the bottle comes off and it grows outdoors in mostly shade. Always keep moist, but not soggy.

Yeah! Orchid Whisperer thanks! I was afraid I would have to put this in a terrarium and I've been holding off doing so. Al had this plant dry in his greenhouse and I was surprised at that. The Stelis I purchased at the same time was wet. I think I'll go with the clay pot and humidity tray for now.

Nice, looks like you got a lot of flowers on that little Restrepia plant!

These are hands down one of my favorite flowers, and I just had some open up myself for the first time, too!

I am currently growing mine in a terrarium at 80-85% humidity, although the idea about the soda bottle humidity dome is a good idea for the future!

Pattywack: I believe I read another account the other day about people worried about R. brachypus suffering from too little humidity, but they said it was far more tolerant than expected. Humidity tray should be a good precautionary measure.

Sorry to piggyback on your thread with my own pics, Pattywack, but figured since there was already a thread on this species going at the top, might as well not clutter things :)

TheEarthGarden, thanks for the comment! I'm using a humidity tray and the plant is doing well, has three new growths coming. I agree the flower is amazing and so different, you're not piggybacking at all just contributing. Congratulations on the flower hope you have more soon.

Very cute little blooms on all plants. The Stelis is really an interesting fella.

Hi Pattywack,

how's the restrepia doing?

I've only grown them in terrariums and such although I know others that grow them in outside of them with varying humidity levels with ok success... they seem to get accordion leaves more often though I've noticed, although flower ok... My two cases are jam packed but would love more restrepias! so if it's doing well for you, maybe worth getting one to try outside of an enclosure...

by the way, myself and others I've talked to/ know, growers included, have had these guys deal with fairly high temps without too many problems... certain harder to find species can suffer though...