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Species library › Vanda › Vanda wightii
Orchids Partly documented

Vanda wightii

A small, rare epiphytic Vanda from southern India and Sri Lanka. It was once presumed extinct but has been rediscovered in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It resembles Vanda tessellata, with thick V-channelled leaves and 4–4.5 cm dirty brownish-greenish-yellow tessellated flowers, but it has blunt side lobes and is fragrant at dusk. Grow it like a warm, bright lowland Vanda that gets a drier spell after the monsoon.

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 trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

An epiphyte on trees in the lowlands and foothills of southern India. Its close relative V. tessellata typically grows on trees in fairly open, seasonally dry country, and V. wightii's heavy, fleshy leaves suggest similar bright, exposed perches, though its exact microhabitat is not well documented.

Reported mainly from low elevations (around 60–80 m) and up to about 700 m. None of the GBIF records carry an elevation.

Kerala, IndiaKarnataka, IndiaTamil Nadu, IndiaSri Lanka

🔒 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.