Bulbophyllum ovalifolium

Bulbophyllum ovalifolium (Wight) C.S.P. Parish is a miniature-sized epiphytic orchid. It is native to parts of Southeast Asia including the Chinese Himalayas, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Lesser Sunda Islands, and Sulawesi. It grows in montane forests at elevations between about 900 to 2,500 meters above sea level.

Features:

• Tiny, mat-forming growth habit via a creeping, many-branched rhizome.

• Pseudobulbs are close-set, chain-like; shapes ranging from oblong to ovoid or globose, somewhat laterally flattened; nearly prostrate to oblique orientation.

• Each pseudobulb bears a single apical leaf: thinly leathery, oval to elliptic, obtuse at the tip, with a petiolate base.

• Flowers are single per inflorescence, held above the leaf; the inflorescence is short (around 3.75 to 6 cm long). Flower size about 1.25 to 2 cm (½-¾ inch). Blooming occurs from spring through fall.

Care Tips:

• Maintain cool to warm temperature conditions, reflecting its montane forest origin; avoid extremes.

• Provide bright, indirect light—shade or filtered light works best; avoid direct hot sun.

• Keep humidity high and consistent; ensure good air circulation to prevent rot or fungal problems.

• Substrate: mount or pot in a free-draining mix, using fine bark, sphagnum moss, or similar, mimicking epiphytic growth.

• Watering: keep media moist during active growth; allow slight drying between waterings in cooler or less active periods.

• Blooming: encourage by stable environment & possibly slightly cooler nights.