Phal. bastianii

Native to the Philippines, this species blooms with large sprays of flowers on several branching spikes when grown to maturity. Do not remove the flower spikes when finished blooming, as they simply go dormant until the next year's flowering season. This species is closely related to Phal. mariae, although Phal. bastianii can be differentiated via its flatter flowers with sparse trichomes on the mid-lobe of the lip and a low, smoothed keel, seen blooming on upright spikes. The fourth photo shows a specimen plant as an example, with this being the darkest red plant in our collection.

Given that these orchids are divisions or descendants of jungle-collected specimens, they have minor symptoms of leaf chlorosis that is typical of wild-borne orchids. In the decades that we have housed and bred with this species, these symptoms have only ever been cosmetic and never have appeared to slow the growth or flowering of these plants.