Those of us who consider ourselves to be orchid collectors think there is something heavenly about them. The Odontoglossum crispum, a curled orchid, is a real stand-out. It’s an epiphytic orchid considered by many to be the most beautiful of them all but — it is one of the most difficult to grow. Rarely a terrestrial (growing along the ground), it’s also called an air plant or aerophyte because it grows like a Staghorn fern which grows on another plant. It depends on the other plant for support but gets its nutrients elsewhere.

First named by Karl Sigismund Kunth who was a German botanist in 1816, the Odontoglossum genus has about 100 species. Kunth is known for being among the first to categorize plants from the Americas. The scientific name for the Odontoglossum orchids derive from Greek words: odon for “tooth” and glossa for “tongue.” They refer to two tooth-like calluses that appear on the base of the lip of the orchid. The abbreviation for this species is Odm. to the trade. It used to have up to 400 species before it was broken up into other genera.

The Odontoglossum prefers a cool to cold climate and is often found on open areas in humid cloud forests at higher elevations. Most species actually prefer the northern Andes area as well as the higher elevations in Central and Western South American all the way to Guyana. They like the trunks or main branches of oak trees in partial shade but can survive short periods in full sun. They are accustomed to light to moderate rainfall and humidity of 70% to 75%.

The higher altitude species have long arching inflorescences (cluster of blooms) with up to 150 flowers while the low altitude species have shorter columns with up to about twenty blooms. Their psuedobulbs (storage organs) are compact and have leaf-like bracts at their bases that give off up to three apical (energy providing) leaves. They sometimes they have erect inflorescences growing from the base and parallel to the long column. Ruffled sepals and petals spread and the lip is rather complex having up to three lobes.

The array of colors for these orchids is amazing. There are red, white, purple, brown, yellow and a showy blend of several colors. Many of the Odontoglossum species are in great demand from global orchid lovers due to their flamboyant flowers. The ovoid (egg-like) pseudobulb can be between three to four inches long, from which emerge two erect but soft textured or arching linear leaves. Sharply pointed at the tips and narrow below they fold along the mid-vein at the base to form a narrow stem. There is a graceful arching spike of flowers up to twenty inches long with closely spaced blooms. However, there can be as many as three lateral branches at the base of each raceme.

Growing them at home is best in a cool marine type climate like California’s fog belt or in the Pacific Northwest. Otherwise a high daytime temperature could destroy them unless air conditioning is available, as in a greenhouse. They need to be well watered, rain water is quite beneficial, and have air movement available around them at all times. Pot them in well-drained medium fir bark and watered while actively growing, allowing the roots to be near-dry between watering. Watering and fertilizing should be reduced during their dormant season, resuming in the spring.

You can repot in October and November but never in the summer. About one-half of the planting mix should have charcoal or broken pots for drainage and chopped fibrous peat, live sphagnum and clean, decayed leaves in equal quantities, all mixed together and firmly inserted. The surface should be slightly convex, thereby elevating the base of the plant a bit above the rim of the pot. Do use the fertilizer suggested by the grower and follow directions to a “T” in order to keep these spectacular orchids alive and blooming. It was very difficult for the early growers to develop the proper growing conditions for this beauty. You wouldn’t want to lose one of the finest orchids in the world.

Watch a stunning video called New World Orchids.  It’s truly breathtaking!

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Filed under: Orchid Species

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