Brassavolas

The fascination for tropical orchids began in Europe in 1698 when Brassavola nodosa was taken from the Caribbean island of Curaçao to Holland. This genus was named for the Venetian nobleman and physician Antonio Musa Brassavola and is abbreviated as B. There are around 20 types of brassavolas and many hybrids.

Brassavolas are native to the tropical lowlands of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands. Most of them are epiphytes but a few prefer to grow as lithophytes. The pseudobulbs are elongated and have a single, apical leaf. Some species typically produce a single white or greenish white flower; others have a raceme of a few flowers. The five greenish sepals are long and narrow. Most are very fragrant at night.

The cultural requirements of the brassavolas make most of them ideal candidates for growing in South Texas. In fact, Brassavola nodosa and most of its hybrids are the easiest of all orchids to grow there.

Cultural Requirement for most Brassavolas

Light: Plants want bright, Cattleya light (2500 - 3500 fc) and can tolerate higher light levels, if they are introduced gradually. When light is very bright, strong air movement and higher humidity are important. To prevent burning in very bright light, water should be kept off the leaves during the brightest part of the day.

Temperature: Brassavolas are intermediate to warm growing orchids. Summer days in the high 80's to lower 90's and night temperatures in the mid 70's to low 80's are about right. When winter temperatures drop below the 50's, the plants need to be given protection from the cold.

Humidity: High humidity (80%) year round.

Water: During the summer growing season, these plants want lots of water – several times a week. Most want a winter dry season of two to four weeks with no water . It is thought by some that this dry period can be necessary to produce mature growths and to induce flowering.

Fertilizer: A balanced fertilizer, at ½ recommended strength, should be applied weekly during periods of active growth. South Texas water is very salty; consequently, pots should be leached every few weeks to prevent salt build up, especially when fertilizer is being applied most heavily. Plants should first be watered normally to dissolve any accumulated salts. An hour or so later, the medium is flushed with water equal to about twice the volume of the pot. Year-round leaching is important in areas with heavily mineralized water.