🇨🇴 Habitat and Ecology
 
​Warszewiczella marginata (formerly well-known as Cochleanthes marginata) is a sympodial epiphytic orchid native to the wet tropical forests of Northern South America and Central America. Its primary range includes Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama. It typically inhabits warm, humid environments at low to moderate elevations (often recorded from near sea level up to around 1,000 metres), where it grows on tree trunks in shady, moisture-rich conditions without a distinct dry season.
 
​🌸 Description and Distinguishing Features
 
​This orchid is a pseudobulbless epiphyte that forms a neat, fan-shaped habit.
​Foliage: Because it lacks the water-storing pseudobulbs typical of many orchids, it relies on a fan of soft, linear-lanceolate leaves. The leaves are light green, articulated at the base, and arranged in a tuft, giving the plant a grassy or fern-like appearance even when not in bloom.
​Flowers: The flowers are produced singly on short, erect to arching inflorescences (7-10 cm long) that emerge from the axils of the leaves. The blooms are large relative to the plant, often reaching 6-8 cm (2.5-3 inches) in width.
​Aesthetics: The sepals and petals are typically ivory-white, cream, or pale greenish-white, and tend to curl backward slightly. The defining feature is the large, rounded lip (labellum). The lip is white but heavily marked with a broad, semicircular margin of violet-purple or magenta veins that radiate from the center, often creating a solid band of colour at the edge (hence the specific epithet marginata). The flowers are strongly fragrant, with a scent often described as spicy or sweet.
​Taxonomy: You may often find this sold under its synonym, Cochleanthes marginata. The genus was reclassified to Warszewiczella, but the care remains identical.
 
​💧 Cultivation and Care
 
​Warszewiczella marginata is a warm-growing orchid that requires constant moisture and shade. It is less forgiving of neglect than pseudobulbous orchids because it cannot store water.
​Light: Requires moderate shade to bright, filtered light. Avoid direct sunlight, which will quickly scorch the soft leaves. It thrives in light levels similar to Phalaenopsis or Paphiopedilum.
​Substrate: Best grown in a net pot or basket to ensure excellent drainage while retaining moisture. A mix of sphagnum moss and fine bark or perlite is ideal to keep the roots cool and damp.
​Watering: The "Golden Rule" for this species is never allow it to dry out completely. Water regularly and evenly throughout the year. Because it lacks pseudobulbs, even a short period of dryness can cause leaf drop or pleated (accordion-like) growth on new leaves.
​Temperature:
​Optimal Daytime Temperature: 20-29 C (68-84 F).
​Optimal Nighttime Temperature: 16-21 C (60-70 F). It does not tolerate cold drafts well.
​Humidity: High humidity (60-80%) is crucial. Good air circulation is necessary to prevent bacterial rot in the leaf axils, especially if growing in moss.
 
​✨ Unique Features
​This orchid is prized for its large, showy lip which contrasts beautifully with the pale petals, and its delightful fragrance. Unlike many orchids that have a distinct dormancy, Warszewiczella marginata can bloom at various times of the year (often summer to autumn) and maintains attractive, lush green foliage year-round if kept moist.
 
​🏷️ Specifications
​Plant Size: Flowering sized plant in a 12 cm pot
Plant Family: Orchidaceae
Plant Passport: A Warszewiczella marginata B 140084 C [buyer to use number of the plant label] D GB