Chondroscaphe embreei

Chondroscaphe embreei is the showstopper of the genus. Large, waxy flowers in warm cream and butter yellow open low among fans of soft, pleated leaves, the deeply fringed lip flaring outward like lace and releasing a rich, sweet perfume that hangs in humid morning air. It is a cloud forest orchid in the Zygopetalinae, compact enough for a shaded corner of the greenhouse or a humid windowsill, and generous with its blooms once it feels at home.

Care Guide

• Light: Bright shade. Filtered light at Phalaenopsis levels, well away from direct midday sun, which scorches the thin leaves.
• Temperature: Cool to intermediate. Days of 18-24°C (65-75°F) with a distinct night drop to 12-16°C (54-60°F).
• Humidity: High, 70-85%, paired with gentle constant air movement so the fans stay clean and unspotted.
• Water: Keep evenly moist year round. Without pseudobulbs it has no reserves, so water with low-mineral water before the medium dries through, and never let it go bone dry.
• Medium & potting: Fine to medium bark with sphagnum or perlite in a free-draining pot. Repot every one to two years, before the mix breaks down.
• Fertilizer: Balanced orchid fertilizer at quarter strength with most waterings, with a monthly flush of clear water to clear salts from the pot.

Raised in our nurseries in the Ecuadorian Andes, where the cool mist this species thrives on arrives on its own each morning, every plant is hand selected and inspected before it ships. Give it steady moisture and cool nights, and Chondroscaphe embreei will fill your growing space with fringed, fragrant flowers season after season.