Cyrtochilum macranthum

Scientific Name: Cyrtochilum macranthum

Origin: Colombia, Peru, Ecuador

Family: Orchidaceae

Bloom time: December - May

The Cyrtochilum macranthum grows as an epiphyte – a plant that grows on another plant but is not parasitic – in montane cloud forests at up to 3,000 meters elevation. It produces dozens of flowers on a 12-foot-tall scrambling inflorescence. Look for Cyrtochilum species growing on tree fern trunks in the Tropical High Elevation House.