Orchid of the day: Aerangis fastuosa (The Magnificent Aerangis)

Aerangis fastuosa

Aerangis fastuosa, which is endemic to Madagascar, is also known as The Magnificent Aerangis. This dwarf orchid has short stems and is hot growing (more than 70^oF). The best way to describe the appearance of this orchid is that its growth is very tidy, lovely and clean. The white flowers which are about 2 inches or 5 cm, are large for the size of the plant and are long lasting and fragrant in the afternoon and at night.

A) April 15th, the white flower up close.

B) December 14th, 2014, we noticed signs of a few flower stems at the base of the plant.

C) March 1st, 2015. The flowers were developing. We counted five flowers at this time.

D) You can see the nectar spur protruding from the bottom of the developing flowers. Actually at this stage, they remind me of bean sprouts!

E) March 22nd, the flower buds were still unopened.

F) March 29th, all five white flowers bloomed. Notice how close to the base of the plant the flowers are located.

In the wild, Aerangis fastuosa inhabits lands between the coastal plain and the central plateau in the evergreen forest of Madagascar. This orchid grows on twigs and small branches at elevations of 1000 to 1500 meters. We keep our Aerangis fastuosa in our basement under lights with regular watering and great care!

G) Intensively white crisp flowers.