Brassavola nodosa (The Lady of the Night Orchid)

[Bud]

ORIGIN/HABITAT: Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela. This
species is widespread in Mexico along the Gulf of Mexico coast southward
from Tampico, and plants are also found on the Pacific coast in the state
of Chiapas. The habitat continues south through Central America, along
both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, and extends into northern Venezuela
and Colombia. Collections have also been reported on islands in the West
Indies. Plants are found in low lying coastal regions, generally below
1640 ft. (500 m), growing on either trees in lowland tropical forests and
mangrove swamps, or on exposed rocks and cliffs near the shore.
-Charles and Margaret Baker-

This orchid blooms all year round, starts spring-summer and usually bigger flowers from autumn to winter ….flowers are large 5 inches diameter from 3 to 6 flowers in the spike, spiderlike, with narrow pale green sepals and petals and large white lip. The long lasting flowers are scented, particularly at night….pretty much like a citrusy orange blossom scent….

I grow this intermediate to warm with plenty of light south facing windowsill….I inherited this mounted in a tree fern stick = I didn’t bother to pry loose the roots to repot….this is the warm months and the growing period so this plant require plenty of water and fertilizer weekly weakly …. but when the new pseudo bulbs have all matured and all the flowers withered and died, I lessen watering to intervals of every other week to allow a rest period(December 15 to February 15)…..until it produces new bud growths and then I continue the feeding and watering regimen in the cycle