Masdevallia caudata

Masdevallia caudata is a small cool-growing epiphytic orchid of the cloud forests of Colombia's Eastern Cordillera and neighbouring Venezuela. Its flowers carry long sepal tails. It grows at 2,200–3,300 m in cool, humid, misty forest and suffers in heat, so it needs cool days, cold nights and constant moisture.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Humid airBand in Plantistry

Light Dappled lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

No rest periodGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

An epiphyte on mossy branches in Andean cloud and upper montane forest, where mist and frequent rain keep conditions cool and moist.

GBIF records run from 2,200 to 3,300 m, median about 2,580 m.

ColombiaVenezuela

🔒 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

Grow Masdevallia caudata? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Masdevallia

Masdevallia veitchiana Masdevallia davisii Masdevallia unguentum Masdevallia sumapazensis Masdevallia ionocharis Masdevallia goliath Masdevallia odontocera Masdevallia bicolor Masdevallia coccinea Masdevallia uniflora Masdevallia floribunda Masdevallia mejiana All 686 →

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.