Cactus Orchid Succulent- Eulophia petersii-Rare Orchid

Eulophia petersii is a terrestrial orchid from the  Arabian Peninsula down into East Africa. Best grown in a deep pot that accommodates the big root system. Of the 25,000 species of Orchidaceae worldwide, many thousands of them are succulent. But this is one of a relative few that grow in desert climates under the same culture as cacti or euphorbias. The serrations on the leaves makes it look like or at least a relative of the aloes. But, unlike most aloes, this orchid should be watered plenty in summer ( 2x per week in the hottest part of the summer, reducing the water as the climate gets colder to no water in winter)

Eulophia petersii is one of the most desert-adapted orchids. It grows in arid habitats from Namibia all the way to the southern Arabian Peninsula. An extreme succulent, it stores water in its large pseudobulbs, thick rigid leaves, and an ample system of fleshy roots. In spring a 3- to 6-foot tall racemes bear hundreds of 1-inch brownish flowers with twisted petals. This species was introduced to succulent nurseries in the early 1990s. It  is a very rare plant, if you find it for sale on line most likely they are out of stock.

It is tolerant of temperatures from well over 100 F to freezing. All-day sun is a bit too much in summer; the plant may look much better in very light shade. To ensure flowering, give the plant a cool, dry winter rest. While it can tolerate down to freezing or even a few degrees below under a cover, it tends not to flower in cold winter outdoors or in an unheated enclosure (These conditions depends where you grow it, in So Cal I grow them outdoors all year long) Watering during winter also seems to inhibit flowering so keep it dry.

Plant available are rooted divisions, shown in 6″ pot with 2 mature bulb. Plant will ship bare root. Will refund some of the shipping cost when placing an order for 2 or more plants. All my plants are healthy and pest free. I ship USPS  priority mail 2-5 business days. All purchases on or after Wednesday will ship the following Monday to avoid plants spending the weekend at the post office. Not responsible for frozen plants or delays from postal service, that’s out of my hands. If you require a heat pack, I have some for sale, check under my other listings. I’m not making any money on these, I have them there for YOUR convenience. They are priced at $6 that’s to cover my cost. If you purchase a heat pack send me a message and let me know is for your order. For orders cancelled or refunded  72 hours after being placed, there will be a $5  charge (deducted from total refund) to cover restocking and Stripe’s processing fee.