Catasetum saccatum (Ecuador) Out of stock

Blooming size plants with 3-4 backbulbs and one lead growth in a 5 inch pot. A real deal at this price!

Catasetum saccatum Description

Date Item Posted: 09/29/05 Date Photos taken: 09/26/05

Pot size: 6-inch

Plant size: Blooming size

Plant size when mature: 12 to 18-inches

Flower color: Dark brown sepals and petals with cream to green callus on a tan to brown lip.

Flower Natural Spread (Distance across): 2 to 3- inches

Fragrant: These flowers are extremely fragrant having a odd sort of smell that's very difficult to describe. It's not sweet nor sharp, but more of a chemical smell that's not displeasing to the nose. It's oddly attractive and draws you to find out what's in bloom. Obviously it has the same effect on it's pollinators!

Growing Conditions

Light: Give these plants as much light as you can. In their natural habitat, they grow in direct sunlight. Female flowers are also produced in direct sunlight and they look nothing like the male flowers pictured here. We haven't been able to produce female flowers even under 1000W HID lights 12 hours a day. We'll keep trying though, because we really want to propagate these beauties.

Water: Most Catasetums have dormant periods during the dry season when they loose their leaves and rest. When your plants loose their leaves, cut back on the water until you see new growth, then water sparingly. When new growth produces pseudobulbs, increase watering keeping roots moist (NOT WET) and maintain high air movement to prevent rot.

Temperature: Warm to intermediate growers between 55F-70F. Will tolerate 10 degrees warmer or cooler temperatures without ill effects.

Fertilizer: 1/4 to 1/2 strength while in active growth

Additional Comments

Saccatum is one of the most unusual species in the Catasetenae group and one of the easiest to grow and flower. The flowers are reminiscent of monster spiders with great big sucker mouths hanging on the pendant inflorescence waiting for their prey. Saccatum is also a very floriferous species often producing 2 inflorescence per new pseudobulb.

Male flowers have hair triggers under the column, that when touched will catapult its pollen out of the flower and onto its potential pollinator. Female flowers off all the species look very similar with their upside-down bowl shaped lip called the "hood" that dominates the flower shape. The sepals and petals fanned out under the hood providing a landing pad for the pollinator so it can crawl up into the hood to complete pollination.

Click here for pictures of the actual plant for sale. Pictures taken 09-29-05