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Species library › Brassavola › Brassavola nodosa
Orchids Well documented

Brassavola nodosa

The lady-of-the-night orchid: pencil-thin terete leaves and white flowers that scent strongly after dusk. It grows on trees, mangroves and rocks in hot, bright lowlands of Central America and northern South America, and wants high light, warmth and fast drying between waterings.

Brassavola nodosa
Photo: Orchi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

An epiphyte or lithophyte of coastal mangroves, dry and seasonal lowland forest, scrub and exposed rocks, often on outer branches in strong light.

Mostly near sea level; records reach 2020 m but the median is 190 m.

Mexico GulfMexico SoutheastMexico SouthwestBelizeGuatemalaHondurasEl SalvadorNicaraguaCosta RicaPanamáColombiaVenezuelaArubaNetherlands AntillesCayman Is.Southwest Caribbean

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.