Stanhopea maculosa

There are number of stanhopea species that are hardly ever seen in nature and even more rarely seen flowering in cultivation. One of them is stanhopea maculosa and this season it’s flowered first time in my collection.

It’s one of the extraordinary stanhopea species, first discovered in the Pacific coast of Mexico back in 1820’s and since then been alluding stanhopea collectors. There are only a small number of stanhopea maculosa in private collections and to see one flowering is an immense privilege and great honor.

The plant is of the small size and flowers are of medium size – my plant only developed one spike with two beautiful flowers. The flowers pastel cream color with many pink colored spots and the scent is intense sweet, reminiscent of apricots.

This specie is for the dedicated collector; it’s prefer to be drier in winter times and dislike being wet in colder temperatures. Its flowering is rather capricious and unpredictable, but when all said and done, and Sun and Earth and Soil and Air and all required elements come together in a specific season, it rewards patient stanhopea grower with its mysterious, magical, primal blooming energy.