Lycaste skinneri – Flowering plants

Lycaste skinneri (White Nun Orchid) is the most popular flowering plant. The long leaves are grown from its thick pseudobulbs. Lycaste skinneri blooms in the winter and early spring from the erect inflorescence, with a few at once, 15 to 30 cm long, single flowered inflorescence with the peduncle being concealed by inflated sheathing bracts. The blossoms are a waxy, very intense smell, about 15 cm in diameter. Sepals long-lanceolate, from white to violet-pink. Petals are elliptical, broad, strongly arched forward, gently pink on top, and reddish-purple inside. The lip is triple, white or yellowish, covered with red-violet spots and veins, inside has a yellow stain. The pure white form of the flower with a small fraction of the yellow inside the lip is rare enough and has the name Lycaste skinneri var. alba. A mature plant can produce between 4 and 12 flowers during the time of its blooming, which lasts between 6 and 8
weeks.

Scientific classification:

Family: Orchidaceae
Genus: Lycaste
Species: L. skinneri

Scientific Name: Lycaste skinneri
Synonyms: Maxillaria skinneri, Maxillaria skinneri, Maxillaria virginalis, Lycaste skinneri var. alba, Lycaste skinneri var. reginae,  Lycaste virginalis, Lycaste jamesiana, Lycaste schoenbrunnensis, Lycaste skinneri f. virginalis.
Common Name: White Nun Orchid.

How to grow and maintain Lycaste skinneri:

Light:
It thrives best in bright sunlight but no direct, so during the midday solstice, they must be placed behind a curtain or in the shade of other plants. Direct sunlight should be avoided, which can cause leaf and plant problems.

Soil:
It grows well in humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil or a peat-based soil is best, 2 parts peat and 1 part perlite or sand is a good mix.

Temperature:
It thrives best in warm temperature of between 60°F – 85°F / 15.5°C – 30°C whilst the evening temperature should be around 55°F – 60°F
/ 13°C – 15.5°C.

Humidity:
The humidity of 50-70% will be enough for normal growth and development of the plant. However, at temperatures above 27°C, it is desirable to increase the air humidity to at least 70%, since too dry air adversely affects the roots and leaves of the plant. A lot of fresh air and sufficient air circulation are recommended.

Re-Potting:
Re-pot your plant when necessary during the early spring through to the early summer. A small amount of root showing through the drainage holes is fine, but any-more than that then you should re-pot with a slightly larger pot.

Watering:
It prefers frequent and abundant watering throughout the year. Excess water during irrigation should flow freely from the pot since stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pan can very quickly lead to rotting of the roots and the lower part of the plant. The substrate between waterings should dry well, but not dry completely. After watering, water from the leaves must be removed with a tissue.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize once every two weeks in the spring and summer, once every four weeks in the fall and winter with a balanced fertilizer diluted by half.

Propagation:
It can be easily propagated by dividing an offshoot that has a good root system and pot each one individually.

Pests and Diseases:
It has no serious pest or disease problems. Watch for aphids and scale. Yellow Leaves can indicate that the plant is receiving too much light. Dark Green Leaves indicates that the plant is not receiving enough light.