Pamianthe peruviana: amazing epiphytic bulb!

Those who know me well, know that my horticultural passion is not limited to orchids; I am also dedicated to other groups of plants. Bulbs and geophytes in general are a great love of mine. While the orchids are mostly my thing, my partner also loves bulbs, and we maintain a collection of them together.

Pamianthe peruviana is a very special bulb species from Peru where it is now extinct due to habitat destruction. Unlike most bulbs, this amaryllis relative is not found growing in the ground, instead it grows like an orchid as an epiphyte - but instead of having pseudobulbs, it has real bulbs (imagine that ).

Not only is it fascinating, it is also very beautiful, producing one of the most strikingly beautiful, massive flowers in the entire Amaryllidaceae. These huge showy, complex cream-white blossoms are also powerfully fragrant and one imagines them to be pollinated by hawkmoths.

It takes 4-5 years to bloom this rare beauty from seed. Sadly it is very rare in cultivation due to a number of factors, not least because it remains virtually unknown and because it is slow to reproduce (seed pods take 15-18 months to gestate). Most bulb collectors do not have conducive conditions for growing this bulb that needs to be treated with orchid conditions, so I am hoping to introduce orchid growers to this species.

Pamianthe is best grown 18-30°C, high relative humidity (65-85%), moderately bright light (1500-2500 foot candles) with decent air movement.



(the ruler is metric)

 

Thank you both.

Marni, this would grow well in your intermediate house.

Zach, I don't think anyone has tried to mount this species, but I am sure it can be done if one has sufficiently high humidity and space. It would be like growing a Cattleya mounted; big, top-heavy plants are more easily accommodated in pots.



For more pictures, see my flickr set of Pamianthe photos

 

about half a meter wide and tall, it has a natural lean to it.