Trichocentrum stramineum

[serama]

I won this plant in a raffle at the Scottish Orchid Society AGM about 14 years ago. Trichocentrum stramineum is one of the smaller mule ear oncidiums and this particular plant has never grown well for me. I love mule ear oncidiums and I've tried growing some of the larger and more spectacular species, always with the same result: sudden death! My set-up is too cold for them and this species is the only one that's managed to survive for any length of time with me, thought it's never done too well. It grows a new leaf every year and then loses an old one, which means it has never had more than 3 leaves at a time in all these years. Still, I love the rose-tinted flowers and it blooms reliably each spring.