How An Orchid Enthusiast Does Retail Therapy

Tolumnia velutina (photo credit: Kristof Zyskowski via Wikimedia Commons)

Shopping as a way of rewarding oneself is pretty common, as is shopping as a way of making oneself feel better. I’ve never been a fashionista, so I don’t tend to buy clothes when I get the urge to shop. Unsurprisingly, I buy plants. Often, those plants are orchids. 

This time around, I bought an orchid variation called “tufferfish,” which is such a fun name (though I confess I don’t picture a plant when I hear it). The genus, which includes just six species, is one I’d never heard of: tolumnia. The name comes from a character in Virgil’s Aeneid, so this is one literate orchid!

Tolumnia (photo credit: William Thurston via Wikimedia Commons)

Essentially, tolumnia are similar to oncidiums, only smaller. The two genera were separated by a botanist in 1986. They originate in the area between Florida and the northern region of South America, including the Caribbean. They bloom in a range of colors and patterns, often more than once a year. 

Like phalaenopsis and many other orchids, tolumnia are epiphytic and grow on small twigs at the tips of tree branches. However, their roots are much smaller and finer than those of phalaenopsis orchids. The base of tolumnia sport overlapping leaves, and when these orchids flower, the stems emerge from near the leaf base. 

My new tolumnia 

The tolumnia I recently bought was shipped to me bare root, which surprised me a little until I learned that people often keep tolumnia unpotted or in “net pots,” which are mesh pots that look like little laundry baskets. So long as they’re kept in high enough humidity ( > 70%), the roots are okay without any medium whatsoever. 

As with most orchids, east-facing windows are ideal for tolumnia (a south- or west-facing window can work if the plant is set back or if there’s a sheer curtain diffusing the light a bit). Mine is in my greenhouse under a grow light. They like temperatures from 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit and don’t like to get too dry. Tolumnia can be mounted, which requires frequent misting or watering, or potted in orchid bark or sphagnum moss (especially if in a drier environment) to help boost humidity. Bare-rooted or mounted tolumnia should be misted daily; potted tolumnia should be watered 1-2 times a week. 

Tolumnia Jairak Flyer “Corona” (photo credit:  阿橋花譜 HQ Flower Guide via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

The bloom shape is reminiscent of those of the dancing lady oncidium, but the stems are much thinner. The colors of mine, should it flower, will be maroon spotted, somewhat like the one above. If and when it blooms, you’ll see it featured in this blog!