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Species library › Masdevallia › Masdevallia laevis
Orchids Partly documented

Masdevallia laevis

Masdevallia laevis, described by Lindley in 1845, is a high Andean species of Colombia, Ecuador and western Venezuela, recorded mostly around 3000 to 3450 m. It is a genuinely cold grower: the measured days sit near 13 C and nights near 5 to 6 C all year, so it needs a cool, wet, bright-shaded setup.

Masdevallia laevis
Photo: Orchi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Very humid airBand in Plantistry
Light Dappled lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

Upper montane cloud forest and elfin forest near the páramo edge, where Masdevallia grow on mossy trunks, branches and banks in cold, foggy air; species-specific habitat notes were not found.

Recorded at 1800 to 3455 m, median 3300 m (23 records); most records are from the upper montane belt in Nariño, Cauca and northern Ecuador.

ColombiaEcuadorVenezuela

🔒 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.