Masdevallia tovarensis
Flag orchid, Kite orchid
- Height × spread
- 0.3m × 0.15m
- Hardiness
- Heated greenhouse 5C & above (RHS H1c)
- Flowers
- Winter
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
A rather elegant white flower with a very long slender, speared upper petal and smaller erratic lower one. The centre of the flower is like an inverted heart with a tiny little mouth. It reminds one of the tucked-away mouth of an octopus. The flowers are very bright and beautiful with improbably long tails. It is inadvisable to remove the spent flowering stem as it may well produce further flowers in the next year. This enjoys a light to fully shaded position but does not like to be in an enclosed space where there is no air movement. Give it plenty of humidity for they don't like to dry out for more than a brief period, neither should they be sodden.
- Flower colour
- White
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Bell
- Height
- 0.3m
- Spread
- 0.15m
- Season of interest
- Winter
- Flowers in
- Winter
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Indoors, Exotic garden, Conservatory
- Soil type
- All types
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Any
- Hardiness
- Heated greenhouse 5C & above (RHS H1c)
- Borders & containers
- Borders and containers
- Indoor light
- full, shade from hot sun at day height
- Indoor temperature
- 5C minimum temperature
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Indoors
Mist the plant daily
Plants which enjoy high humidity should be misted daily. Soft or rain water is preferred as it doesn't mark the foliage. Avoid spraying at the height of day or the water can act as a magnifying glass and leaves may be scorched.
Mist the plant daily when in growth, preferably using rain or soft water.
Spring-Winter · Indoors
Water regularly in growth & lightly in winter
This plant always needs some water, but the volume should be increased, and regularly applied while in growth. It should be lightly watered while resting in winter.
Summer
Summer-Autumn · Indoors
Feed with orchid feed
Use a standard orchid feed regularly at every third watering during summer, applying it as directed on the packet.
For specialist feeding, you can buy a group of orchid feeds. Apply a high nitrogen feed in spring as the plant is coming into growth, a balanced feed during growth, and a high potash feed in autumn.
Planting & general
Indoor temperature · Planting
5C minimum temperature
This plant requires a minimum temperature of 5 Centigrade.
Indoor plant · Planting
Position in shade indoors
Keep this plant in a shady position away from sunlight, especially sunlight at the height of the day. It can be moved to a more open position during late autumn to mid spring.
Compost · Planting
Orchid-epiphytic compost for repotting
Buy a standard orchid mix for orchids that are epiphytic in character i.e. they grow on other things, generally other plants.
If making one's own one recipe create a mix that is half fine bark chips, and a mix of fine gravel and perlite and charcoal for the other half. Opinions vary on 'recipes' and if your interest develops, you can research the views of specialist growers.