Cischweinfia jarae

Cischweinfia jarae is a small orchid that repays a close look. Narrow, glossy leaves fan out from slim, flattened pseudobulbs, and short sprays lift pale, softly waxy flowers whose broad lip carries fine warm veining that only reads properly from a few inches away. A member of the Oncidiinae from the humid montane forests of the Andes, it stays neat and compact, settles happily into a small pot or a mount, and slips easily into a crowded growing space.

Care Guide

• Light: Bright, filtered light at Phalaenopsis to light Oncidium levels, with no direct midday sun on the foliage.
• Temperature: Intermediate. Days of 19-26°C (66-79°F) with nights easing to 14-18°C (57-65°F).
• Humidity: 60-80%, with gentle, steady air movement around the fine roots.
• Water: Water regularly with low-mineral water, letting the roots approach dryness between waterings without staying dry. Mounted plants need daily watering in warm weather.
• Medium & potting: Fine bark with perlite in a small pot, or mounted on cork or tree fern with a thin moss pad where humidity is high. Repot every year or two as the mix breaks down.
• Fertilizer: Balanced orchid fertilizer at quarter strength with most waterings, plus a monthly flush of clear water to clear salts.

Grown in our nurseries in the Ecuadorian Andes, in the same humid mountain air this species comes from, every plant is hand selected and inspected before it ships. Give it warmth, humidity, and regular water, and Cischweinfia jarae will quietly earn its place on the bench with delicate, finely marked blooms.