Epidendrum radicans is found throughout Central America, ranging from Veracruz and Chiapas in Mexico to Valle del Cauca in Colombia. They grow as ground plants in mixed forests, often in full sun, on rocks and on the side of roads, at heights of 100-1500 m...
Epidendrum radicans also called as The Ground Rooting Epidendrum, Fire-star orchid, Rainbow orchid, Reed-stem Epidendrum, Epidendrum pratense, Epidendrum radicans var. chiriquense, Epidendrum radicans var. fuscatum, Epidendrum rhizophorum, is a species of the genus Epidendrum. This species was described by John Lindley in 1831.
IDENTIFY EPIDENDRUM RADICANS
Epidendrum radicans is found throughout Central America, ranging from Veracruz and Chiapas in Mexico to Valle del Cauca in Colombia. They grow as ground plants in mixed forests, often in full sun, on rocks and on the side of roads, at heights of 100-1500 m.
It is a large sized, warm to cold growing terrestrial or lithophyte, which sometimes reaching even 3 m, with erect to nutant canes with adventitious roots, and carrying ovate to elliptic, an unequally bilobed apex, coriaceous, 8-10 cm long leaves that are evenly distributed along the branching stem.
The Ground Rooting Epidendrum blooms the most between fall and spring on a terminal, erect, 25 to 50 cm long, umbelliform inflorescence with successive opening, resupinate flowers all clustered in a ball at the apex. The flowers are 3.5 cm in diameter. They are extremely variable in colors, from orange, red, yellow, crimson, cinnabar, orange and red. The lip is marked in the center by large yellow spots. The elliptic petals of both whorls are 1.7 cm long, 0.7 cm wide and open to form a very flat, wide-spread flower. The more or less curled side lobes of the lip are also laid flat and seem almost wings. The middle plot, also curled along the rounded top is separated from the side plots with quite clear depression. The bent rod has a more or less yellow top.
EPIDENDRUM RADICANS CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Epidendrum radicans needs a light level of 40000-50000 lux. The light should be kept as high as possible, as long as it does not lead to leaf burns. Strong air movement should be ensured all the time.
Temperature:
It is a plant with moderate thermal requirements. Throughout the year the average day temperature is 24-27 ° C, the night 15-17 ° C, with an amplitude of daily variations of 8-11 ° C.
Humidity:
The Ground Rooting Epidendrum needs the humidity of about 80-85% for most of the year, but in winter and early spring it drops to around 70%.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Epidendrum radicans are usually grown in pots filled with loose, quickly drying ground. In general, a medium granulation cortex is used and sphagnum moss, perlite and charcoal are often added.
The plants should be repotted before the substrate begins to decompose, preventing drying. It's best to do it when new roots start growing.
Watering:
From late spring to autumn, precipitation is very abundant, but their average falls dramatically during the winter. During active growth, the cultivated plants should be watered frequently, but at the end of autumn, watering should be gradually reduced. However, these plants should never be dried.
Fertilizer:
During the period of strong growth, the plants should be fertilized every week with 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose of fertilizer for orchids. You can use fertilizer with reduced nitrogen content and increased amount of potassium in the autumn, which supports abundant flowering in the next season.
To avoid the accumulation of mineral deposits during periods of strong fertilization, it is recommended to rinse the containers approximately every month. Rinsing is particularly important where the water is highly mineralized.
Rest period:
In winter, watering should be limited during this period, but the Epidendrum radicans must never be allowed to dry up completely. Fertilization should be limited until spring, when stronger watering resumes.
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