Angraecum longicalcar

[Neferet]

Hey everyone i just received this Angraecum longicalcar which is still a youngplant and is supposed to need 4 more years to flower. It's currently in a bark mix in an 8cm pot.

Would anyone know at what size this plant blooms? Also i don't know if you can see it from the angle of the picture but it's growing a bit twisted and was wondering if it would be a good idea to take it out of the pot and bind it on cork ? Finally I would love to get any general tips on growing this plant.

Thanks , Fotini

[radiofreekirkwood]

Not so loosely paraphrasing from An Introduction to the Cultivated Agraecoid Orchids of Madagascar, by Fred Hillerman and Arthur Holst:

Angraecum longicalcar grows in the central highlands of Madagascar at altitudes of 1,000 to 1,200 meters. It grows semi-terrestrially among rocks on West facing slopes often in full sun.

Hillerman suggests potting the plant in a semi-terrestrial mix, but says it can grow in a variety of mediums. He suggests high light levels but not full sun.

With that said, I think you should probably keep the plant in a pot rather than mounting it on cork.

It also appears that Angraecum longicalcar is a variant/subspecies of Angraecum eburneum, though longicalcar has a much longer spur and lives in slightly different climate and altitude.

[Neferet]

Τhank you a lot! I think I will try to grow it in a transparent pot with lava. =)

[lambelkip]

longicalcar and brevicalcar are no longer considered the same species as eburneum. the difference in spur length is due to the fact that they have different pollinators (which also means that they do not normally hybridize in nature)

[smweaver]

Don't worry about the twisting leaves; its in the nature of the eburneum-complex species to grow that way, especially when they're young (several of the keikis at the base of my adult eburneum display twisted leaves, but they eventually grow in the more typical fan shape as they mature). Longicalcar's from a much higher elevation than the rest of its cousins, and will appreciate considerably cooler temps (especially in the winter) than the heat-loving eburneum. All of the species in this group get to be brutes eventually, so be prepared to give your plant some room (the largest growth on my eburneum has a leafspan of approximately four feet, and with several of them occupying a pot, it's not really a species that makes for a good "windowsill" plant). Lots of water during the spring through fall seasons, with a moderate amount of fertilizer, followed by a drop in temperature during the winter (nights around 50 F will be beneficial--as long as you truly do have a longicalcar and not an eburneum or superbum, which are much happier at around 65 F or higher at night) and a somewhat drier period (although not completely dry) should do nicely for your longicalcar. Good luck with your plant!