Phalaenopsis lowii

A small, seasonally deciduous Phalaenopsis from the limestone hills of southern Myanmar (around Moulmein) and western Thailand. It grows on tree trunks or on limestone cliff faces where leaf litter collects, drops its leaves in the December–January dry season, and flowers around October. It was once considered almost lost to cultivation. It is best grown with bright light, a warm wet summer and a short, dewy winter rest.

At home, aim for

Day Warm-growingTargets 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 rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

It grows as an epiphyte on tree trunks, or as a lithophyte on limestone cliff faces where leaf litter collects around its roots. It favours north-east-facing hill slopes, which are bright but shielded from the afternoon sun. Plants on trees keep their leaves better than those on rock.

In Myanmar it grows on low limestone hills no higher than about 60 m; in western Thailand, in limestone country at 700–800 m.

MyanmarThailand

🔒 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.