Lady of the Night Orchid

  • Common Name: Lady of the Night (Orchid)
  • Scientific Name: Brassavola Nodosa L.
  • Family Name: Orchidaceae
  • Origin: Mexico, the Caribbean, Venezuela, and Peru (Curaçao)
  • Height: 15” – 18”
  • Width: unknown
  • Growth: Quickly
  • Zone: 10 - 11
  • Light Needs: Partial or dappled shade (red spotting will appear on the leaves if the lighting is correct, move the plant to brighter spots until you see the spotting appear, but give it more shade if you see sunburn appearing).
  • Salt Tolerance:  none
  • Soil/PH/Texture: Pot in full sphagnum moss or in perlite and medium bark, but they prefer and do best when the plant is grown mounted. (Humidity is extremely important if they are grown mounted)
  • Soil Moisture: need excellent drainage, water well during the growing period but taper off during their resting period.
  • Drought Tolerance: little to none
  • Pests/Diseases: No major pests or diseases, watch for Aphids, Brassavola mite, and Spider mite
  • Growing Conditions: easy to grow and low maintenance
  • Characteristics: this orchid has short slender stems up to 6” long that are hidden by scarious tubular sheaths, a single leaf appears on each growth, leaves are different in size and shape, ranging from 4” to 12” long and from 1/8” to ¾” wide, the grey-green leaves are usually upright, very fleshy, grooved on the upper surface, and often appear semicylindrical or subterete. The flowers are showy, pale green or yellowish to nearly pure white, fragrant only at night (citrusy smell that attracts moths), about 8” in length, tubular at the base, then opens widely, producing a heart-shaped terminal area that may be as large as 2”, lip is white and has dark red or purple spotting inside the tube, blooms last five - thirty days, and bloom in late fall – winter.
  • Propagation: by offsets
  • Wildlife: attracts moths
  • Facts: Brassavola nodosa was the first tropical orchid to be brought from the Caribbean island Curaçao to Holland in 1968.
  • Designer Considerations: these orchids prefer to be mounted on slabs of cork or tree-fern fiber but can be potted in the right medium for your patio, deck or planted in a pot as a houseplant.

Lady of the Night Orchid

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Location

Orchid Room