Did you already know the baby orchid in the cradle? This is one of the most amazing types of orchid species. After all, who can resist a plant that resembles babies wrapped in blankets?
It was discovered by Antonio Pavon Jimenez and Hipolito Ruiz Lopez in an expedition that botanists made in Chile and Peru, from 1777 to 1788. It was only after more than ten years that this orchid began to be called Anguloa Unifloraits scientific name – in honor of Don Francisco de Angulo, botanist and General Director of Mines in Peru.
The seedling grows to a height of approximately 46 to 61 cm. Just below the thin leaves, you can see conical-shaped pseudobulbs, a hallmark of the genus.
But who are we kidding? The highlight of this orchid is the complex flower who literally looks like a baby wrapped in a crib. Despite being delicate, they are large compared to the size of the plant.
Who doesn’t love miniatures? And babies? Well, this is the combination of the two, that is, irresistible!
In addition to being fragrant, they have a creamy or white color and overlapping petals, like tulips. Another important thing to know when considering buying it is that they generally bloom during the spring.
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Under natural conditions, baby orchids in the cradle are found on the forest floor at high altitudes in the Andean regions of South American countries. In these places, they find conditions of prolonged wet and dry weather.
However, these factors do not prevent you from growing them in your garden, you just need to offer high humidity and a spotty lighting – with bright spots. Therefore, experts suggest greenhouses for these flowers.
Keep them in plastic pots with several holes for drainage. A perlite mix is considered the best soil option. You can also add peat moss or charcoal to aid growth.
Keep the soil moist during the growth of the branch – water every five or six days during the summer and a little less during the winter months. To make it big and healthy, keep the humidity at optimal continuous levels.
In the summer, spray four to five times a day, a great period for the development of thick flowers.
A Anguloa Uniflora needs a temperature of 10º at night during winter and almost 18º during summer nights. Days in summer should be 26º and in winter they should be close to 18º. The original characteristics of the seedling are worth the difficulty of maintenance, trust me!
*Via Orchids Plus