Zootrophion hirtzii (with 3/7/2018 update)

Grown intermediate-warm, shade, daily summer water, mounted on cork with a sphagnum pad.

This is supposed to be a spring bloomer (according to IOSPE) . It did bloom in April also but with one flower. There are a few more tiny buds on the plant.

 

In my case, ignorance was bliss. I was given a small division of this plant a few years ago. The plant has grown very well and has flowered a few times. I didn't realize until recently that it was supposed to be a cool grower. I guess it is forgiving of temperatures.

I also have a small Z. serpentinum. It has grown much slower but I noticed yesterday that it has a bloom bud forming.

 

I have done that with other species (Dendrobium tetragonum var giganteum; Trichosalpinx chamaelepanthes come to mind).

 

I don't know about warm growers adapting to cool conditions but in my conditions (intermediate to warm) very few cool growing plants thrive. Some cool growers do well and are obviously adaptable but, for me, most cool growers fail to flower and eventually die. I have never kept a Dracula alive for more than about a year. I have a few Masdevallia that do OK but I don't buy them anymore because most fail. I can't keep Dendrobium cuthbertsonii alive.

 

Raven, I am very careful now what plants I buy so they fit in well with my temperature conditions. However, here are a few that I can think of that are cool-cold growers that have been doing well for me. There are probably a few others that will come to mind later.......

Pleurothallis alvaroi (pink)
Pleurothallis prolifera
Dendrobium limpidum
Coelogyne nitida
Maxillaria marginata

If I think of more I'll update the thread.

I would be interested to hear how others are doing with these species and also about other cool-cold growers that are thriving (and blooming) in intermediate + conditions.

 

Beautiful plant, Chuck.
The more I look at my plant the more buds I find. The little buds are hard to see down in the foliage.

 

I just wanted to do a follow-up on a comment I made above in post #5.

I said:

The Z. serpentinum continued to make several buds but every one blasted. The serpentium is growing in the same conditions as the hirtzii (literally side-by-side) which makes me think the serpentium requires cooler conditions. The hirtzii continued to produce additional flowers lower on the plant.