This orchid known mostly by it's common names - Clamshell orchid, Cockle Shell orchid or Octopus orchid. This species has the honor of being the first tropical epiphytic orchid to flower at Kew Gardens, England in 1787.
Its native to Mexico, Central and South America and West Indies, grows in a wide variety of habitats and one of the favourite orchids in cultivation. These orchids are evergreen but have a distinct period of dormancy when watering needs to be reduced. They are easy to cultivate and need plenty of water and fertilising with a lot of air movement during actively growing season.
The flower heart-shaped and broadly striped grow upwards while the narrow yellow-green petals hang downwards - giving appearance of some exotic sea creature.
