Mediocalcar bifolium

Mediocalcar bifolium is a miniature epiphytic or lithophytic orchid native to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, where it inhabits montane rainforests or subalpine shrublands at elevations between 1,800 to 2,600 meters.

Features:

• Size & Structure: This very small orchid forms creeping mats. Its green, ovoid pseudobulbs bear mostly two lance-shaped leaves each.

• Flowers: Each pseudobulb produces a single, bell-shaped flower about 1 cm (½") long, emerging from the apex.

• Bloom Time: The plant can bloom any time of the year, and flowers are long-lasting.

Care Tips:

Light

Provide medium to low indirect light—the kind you'd find under a forest canopy. Bright, filtered light works best, while direct sun should be avoided to prevent leaf damage.

Temperature

Being a cool-growing highlander, M. bifolium prefers cool to intermediate conditions—0–15 °C (32–59 °F)—though the broader genus generally thrives in cool to intermediate temperatures.

Watering & Humidity

• Watering: Keep the medium consistently moist, but not waterlogged. The roots are delicate—they perish quickly if left dry too long, and can rot if overwatered.

• Humidity: High humidity suits this species best, mimicking its native rainforest environment.

Potting & Mounting

• Media: Use a coarse, well-draining mix—mounting on tree fern, cork slabs, or using baskets with sphagnum is highly effective.

• Repotting: Generally safe every 2–3 years, ideally at the end of winter, to align with new growth. Avoid repotting during hot weather to reduce stress.