Coel. tomentosa

Coelogyne tomentosa (so often sold as Coelogyne massangeana - its old name) is one of the most widely grown of Coelogynes. It produces a long (up to 60cm) pendulous flower stem with about 30 off-white/brown flowers 3cm wide. It is native to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, growing along ridges and slopes in the mountains. It is extremely tough and easy to grow outside frost zones. Its flowering habit demands that it be grown in a high hanging basket but, as with many other orchids, there is a temperature advantage also - the closer the air is to the top of the glasshouse the warmer it generally is.