2024 Update — This plant was the victim of a division into three plants. Two of them survived and both are blooming as I type this! I love this simple little orchid. It asks for very little and rewards with several intricate blooms each year. 6.23.24

My day five plant’s diminutive size belies its venerable age. I would guess that I’ve had this little orchid for at least twenty years. It is Restrepia guttulata and it was purchased at Baker and Chantry Orchids in Woodinville long ago when my siblings and I used to visit there regularly.

Here is the plant today:

This plant’s happiness has been elusive at times and occasionally and randomly stumbled upon. I had divided it at one point and had three healthy plants, but two of them passed away in the last year, so I’m left with this seemingly healthy plant.

Below are some photos of the plants in bloom. The flowers are so striking and strange–I just love them!

For care, though I’m obviously no expert, these plants seem to want moisture, but not wet, cool weather and they like to be fed, but not too much at once. I think the two plants died because I fed them too much. And they seem to bloom whenever they feel like it, usually in the spring, but other times too.