Maxillaria variabilis

A small, clump-forming epiphytic orchid that is common from Mexico to Panama, recorded from near sea level to about 2,400 m. It is an easy, adaptable intermediate grower that wants bright filtered light, steady moisture through the wet season and a slightly drier, cooler winter.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

Grows on trunks and branches in seasonally dry to humid evergreen and oak-pine forest, often in fairly open, bright positions. Generalised from its wide range and the genus.

Recorded from 0 to 2,380 m, median about 1,020 m, so most plants grow in mid-elevation intermediate conditions.

MexicoBelizeGuatemalaEl SalvadorHondurasNicaraguaCosta RicaPanamaVenezuela

🔒 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 Maxillaria variabilis? 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 Maxillaria

Maxillaria aureoglobula Maxillaria speciosa Maxillaria crassifolia Maxillaria donaldeedodii Maxillaria parviflora Maxillaria obtusa Maxillaria tenuifolia Maxillaria picta Maxillaria densa Maxillaria egertoniana Maxillaria humilis Maxillaria schunkeana All 668 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.