Masdevallia chontalensis

Masdevallia chontalensis is a small, tufted epiphyte found from Guatemala and Honduras through Nicaragua and Costa Rica to Panama, with most records from Costa Rican montane forest at 800-1800 m. It is one of the more adaptable species in the genus, an intermediate to cool grower that wants humid, moving air, dappled light and nights around 13-17 C.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets 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

Epiphyte on mossy trunks and branches in wet montane forest, cloud forest and shaded forest edges, often low on the trunk where air is damp; it also turns up on shade trees in old coffee country. Widespread and locally common in Costa Rica.

183 records span 500-3150 m with a median of 1200 m; the bulk sit between 800 and 1800 m, and the highest records are on the Talamanca and Central Volcanic ranges.

Costa RicaNicaraguaPanamaGuatemalaHondurasChontalesMonteverdeCartago

🔒 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.