Masdevallia coccinea ‘Leywood’

Masdevallia coccinea ‘Leywood’
Orchidaceae
Tom Ballinger, San Francisco
This large flowered orchid with its red 1-1/2 to 2” cloak-like flowers is one of the nicest in the genus. The flower stems on this well-grown plant were about a foot tall. Masdevallias as a group are relatively easy to grow in the fog belt but are more difficult where summer temperatures are too warm or winter temperatures too cold. Like many orchids, these are epiphytic and need a well-drained orchid mix with regular watering in summer, a little less in winter. They bloom mostly in the spring and summer.