Complete orchid growing information
Brassavola orchids data:
- Sympodial
- Epidendrum Group (Epidendrum Subfamily)
- Subtribe: Laeliinae
- Species: b. acaulis, b. cebolleta, b. cordata, b. cucullata, b. digbyana, b. flagellaris, b. fragrans, b. martiana, b. nodosa, b. retusa, b. venosa, b. tuberculata (b. perrinii)
- Hybrids
- Light: Medium to High
- Temperature: Warm to intermediate
- Humidity, water and fertilization
- Potting and media
- Flowering: Summer to fall
- Care: Beginner
- Good introductory species: Brassavola nodosa
Some of the easiest orchids to grow are found among the 17 compact species of Brassavola. This Cattleya Alliance genus is native to moist lowland forests of tropical Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Their star-shaped flowers are deliciously fragrant at night, but the scent becomes almost imperceptible shortly after daybreak; such as the well-known Lady of the Night (Brassavola nodosa), and most bloom between summer and fall, althought Brassavola nodosa in particular can be almost everblooming. The plants have thin cylindrical pseudobulbs with long terete leaves.
Easily grown with cattleyas and laelias, brassavolas demand plenty of light but tolerate humidity as low as 40 percent. Propagate plants by division after flowering.
Brassavola was named to honor a 16th-century Venetian botanist, Sr. Antonio Musa Brassavola.
Easy Brassavola need intermediate to warm temperatures (55º-65ºF winter nights; summer day maximum of 86ºF) and the medium to high-light conditions of a southern windowsill. This is the most important requirement: adequate light. With the proper exposure, Brassavola leaves develop red freckles that can be seen over the green background. If your plants don’t have freckles, move them to a brighter location.
You can raise them in pots or slatted baskets, but excellent drainage is also important, wich is why I prefer mounts. Their drought tolerance makes mounted Brassavolas easier to handle indoors than most other orchids. The thick white roots will soak up enough water to keep the leaves turgid if you soak the plants for fifteen minutes once or twice a week. Extra humidity from misting and humidity trays during growth periods will give better bloom.
Fertilize regularly while they are growing, and let the plants dry between waterings. After bloom, reduce water for several weeks, but don’t allow the pseudobulbs to shrivel. Rather than dividing them, grow the plants into large specimens of many growths and flowers.
The plants will readily produce more than one flush of growth per season, and the rhizomes branch freely, so it does not take too long to grow specimen-sized Brassavolas.
Brassavola Yaki in bloom in HD.
Brassavola venosa is found growing at low elevations from Costa Rica to Honduras. It grows on trees in dry forest environments below 350 meters in elevation.
The flower of Brassavola venosa is very similar to Brassavola nodosa. This species has raised veins or ridges on the lip to differentiate it.
This species is closely related to Brassavola nodosa and can be grow in a similar manner. Grow on plaques or mounts and provide bright light and good air circulation. Water heavily during the growing season and reduce watering during cooler months. Easy to grow.
Brassavola retusa grows on trees and is native to Brazil.
The flowers of Brassavola retusa have narrow, greenish petals and sepals and a broad white lip. Flowers are fragrant. The plant size is medium.
The nomenclature of Brassavola retusa is in flux right now. More will be posted when I can figure it all out.

Brassavola retusa
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Brassavola martiana grows on trees and is native to Guyana in northern South America. It is also found growing at low elevations in Bolivia, Brazil, Surinam, the Guyanas, Venezuela and Colombia below 1000 meters.
Brassavola martiana has pencil-like pseudobulbs and terete, fleshy leaves that have a shallow v-shaped channel that runs down the center of the leaf. The leaves are longer than Brassavola cebolleta but shorter than Brassavola cucullata. Foliage is dark green or olive green in color. The plants are upright and it’s size medium to large.
The flowers are small. They range from one inch to three inches across.
The scent of Brassavola martiana is small but powerfully fragrant. It has been described as very floral with hints of jasmine and gardenia. The petals and sepals are olive green. The lip is small and spade-shaped with a frilly margin. Flowers are long-lived and fragrant at night.
Brassavola martiana grows best mounted on wood, a tree branch, or cork plaque. Reduce watering during the cooler months of the year and provide copious water and fertilizer while new growth is developing.
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Brassavola fragrans is native to Brazil where it grows on trees.
Brassavola fragrans is a medium size epiphyte has a pendent habit and hangs gracefully from a mount. The flowers of Brassavola fragrans has olive green petals and sepals and a cream to white colored lip. The flowers are fragrant. The branched inflorescence bears few to many flowers. Well grown plants can produce impressive displays of flowers.
Brassavola fragrans is much less common than some other species in the genus and should be grown in collections more often. Grow mounted on wood or cork mounts. Cut back on watering during the winter months. This species is thought to be closely related to Brassavola flagellaris.
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Brassavola flagellaris is found growing on rocks and trees and is native to Brazil.
Brassavola flagellaris has a creeping rhizome that produces cylindrical, erect pseudobulbs. Each pseudobulb has one long, creased, fleshy dark green leaf. New growths produce flowers on a branched inflorescence. The plant size is medium to large. It has very narrow petals and sepals that are green in color. The lip is broad and rounded and white in color. The branched infloresence grows to 6 inches (15 cm) long and produces up to 15 flowers. Flowers are fragrant.
Brassavola flagellaris is best grown mounted on wood plaques or cork mounts. Water heavily and provide high humidity year round. It grows well under warm cattleya conditions.
Brassavola cordata is found growing on trees and is native to Jamaica.
Brassavola cordata‘s petals and sepals are apple green. The heart-shaped lip is white in color. Flowers are fragrant at night and have an attractive citrus scent. The mature pseudobulb produces a 6 inch long branched stem that produces up to 6 flowers. Brassavola cordata has long-lived flowers and the bloom season is summer to fall.
Brassavola cebolleta is native to dry and hot forested and cliffs where it grows on trees. Native to Brazil and Paraguai.
The foliage of Brassavola cebolleta is long, terete and pendent. The pseudobulbs are slender and pencil like. The foliage looks somewhat like chives or onion leaves. The flowers are white with a greenish cast. The lip is greenish-white or white. Sometimes the petals have a reddish flush on the rear. The flower measure is about 2 inches.
Brassavola cebolleta grows and flowers best when it has ample light, humidity, and water. Watering should be reduced when the newest pseudobulbs mature and harden. Best grown mounted on cork or a tree branch. Careful is uncommon in cultivation. The Bloom season is in late spring, summer and fall. May and June is the peak bloom season.
Brassavola acaulis is native to moist forested foothills where it grows on tree branches. Native to Panama, Guatemala, Mexico and Costa Rica.
The fleshy terete leaves of Brassavola acaulis are pendent (hang from the rhizome) and up to 0.75 inches wide. The leaves grow between 16 and 32 inches long. The rhizome creeps along the substrate. It produces flower stems from the rhizome rather than from the top of the pseudobulb. It alternates producing new leaf growths with flower stems. Foliage is dark green in color. One flower is produced on an inflorescence that grows from the rhizome. The petals and sepals are greenish-white and the lip is white in color. Flowers are waxy. Fragrant at night.
Brassavola acaulis needs to be grown mounted on cork or a tree branch since the foliage is pendent. Provide bright light with gigh humidity and good air circulation. Let the plant dry out between watering and reduce some water during the winter, when the temperatures are cooler.