Vanda Luzonica belongs to the Vanda genus of the orchid family named after the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Its name was derived from the island since it is endemic to the island of Luzon. Vanda Luzonica once grew profusely in Mount Pinatubo, until the volcano’s destructive eruption in June 1991. It is a very rare specie and is even considered endangered.

Vanda Luzonica Orchid

Photo by nobuflickr

Vanda Luzonica is an air plant or epiphytic and can grow quite big, up to almost one meter long. Its leathery leaves are 20-50 cm. long and its flowers are fragrant and waxy in texture, 7 cm wide, with from 10 to 25 blooms spaced loosely on an axillary drooping down almost 40cm long. The petals and sepals of a Luzonica are white with purple stripes and pink spots close to the tip. This rare specie flowers in the spring to summer but may flower any time of the year.

Vanda Luzonica grows best in a mix of bright full sunlight and shade and at a lower altitude and likes it hot to warm. It has to be watered year round. The Vanda Luzonica are best grown in hanging baskets or pots with holes with several pieces of coarse fir bark or sphagnum moss as medium, or attached to tree fern fibers, or drift wood and should be well-drained. It needs very high humidity.

When grown in temperate countries, for this rare Vanda Luzonica, watering should be reduced in winter and warm water has to be used for watering. It needs to be fed with fertilizer every 2 weeks with an orchid fertilizer that is water soluble and diluted by half. Its temperature requirement is from 50⁰ – 75⁰F or 10⁰ to 24⁰C. It also needs to be misted with warm water that is lime free to prevent leaf staining. Keep it away from cold drafts and away from children since the plant is poisonous when ingested.