Jewel orchid (Macodes petola) – Indoor House Plants

Jewel orchid (Macodes petola) is an evergreen, small sized, a fleshy creeping rhizome carrying to eight, spiraling in a loose whorl, elliptic to ovate, acute, fleshy, up to 5-inch long and 3-inch wide, hairy appearing as velvet, dark bottle green with five longitudinal and many reticulate veins of gold leaves that are purple green underneath and having a clasped at the base, grooved petiole. When mature, this plant will produce a small spray of white, tan-lipped blooms on an upright stem. The small blooms are about 1.1 cm in diameter, they are usually arranged with a lip upwards, they are red-brown with a white lip. The external whorls are ovate, sharp or bluntly tipped, covered with hairs on the outside and have a brown or ore color with greenish or whitish flecks and tip.

Scientific Name: Macodes petola
Synonyms: Petiole Macodes, Anoectochilus petola, Anoectochilus veitchianus, Anoectochilus veitchii, Argyrorchis javanica, Haemaria argyroneura, Macodes argyroneura, Macodes javanica, Macodes petola var argenteo-reticulata, Macodes petola var. cuprea, Macodes petola var. latifolia, Macodes petola var robusta, Macodes petola var. superba, Macodes petola var. velutina, Macodes robusta, Macodes veitchii, Macodes xanthophyllus, Neottia petola, Rhomboda confuse, Spiranthes petola.
Common Names: Jewel orchid.

How to grow and maintain Macodes petola (Jewel orchid):

Light:
Jewel orchid prefers bright indirect sunlight to shade. Never put your Jewel orchid plant in direct sun.

Soil:
It grows best in moist but well-drained, potting mix soil.

Temperature:
It prefers an average day temperature is 27°C – 29°C / 80°F – 85°F and the average night temperature is 18°C -19°C / 64°F – 66°F.

Water:
Water thoroughly during the growing season and always keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. You can allow the top 1 inch of soil to dry out between each watering. During the winter months, reduce watering.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize every week during the growing season with a diluted balanced fertilizer but you can also use a fertilizer with increased nitrogen content from spring to mid-summer, and then in the late summer and autumn.

Humidity:
The Macodes petola needs the humidity of 85-90% for most of the year, and during the summer months, it falls below 85%.

Propagation:
Macodes petola can be easily propagated by division.

Pests and Diseases:
There is no serious pest or disease problems. Watch for mealy bugs, scale, and spider mite.