Maxillaria acutifolia

Maxillaria acutifolia is a small epiphytic orchid that is widespread in wet tropical forest from southern Mexico to Ecuador and the Guianas, mostly at low to middle elevations. It wants warm-intermediate temperatures, high humidity, dappled light and steady moisture all year.

At home, aim for

Day Warm-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

Epiphyte on trunks and branches in humid lowland and premontane forest, with most records from the Ecuadorian Amazon slope and the western Andean foothills.

Recorded from 60 to 2,000 m, median about 400 m.

Mexico SoutheastGuatemalaHondurasCosta RicaColombiaVenezuelaEcuadorFrench GuianaTrinidad-TobagoLeeward Is.

🔒 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.