Masdevallia colossus

Masdevallia colossus is a large-flowered species described by Luer in 1978, with wild records from Zamora-Chinchipe east of Loja in southern Ecuador at 2,250 to 2,300 m and from Amazonas in northern Peru. It is a cool-growing cloud-forest plant that needs a real night drop and steady moisture; grown warm it declines.

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

Wet montane cloud forest on the eastern Andean slopes, growing as an epiphyte in moss on trunks and branches where cloud sits for much of the day. The species is well known in collections for its big, heavily textured flowers.

Recorded at 2,250 to 2,300 m; the climate site was set at 2,300 m.

EcuadorZamora-ChinchipePeruAmazonas

🔒 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.