Pleurothallis alvaroi Red – Found in the central cordillera of Colombia near Medellin as a small sized, cool to cold growing, epiphyte at elevations around 2000 meters with stout, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths with another below the middle carrying an erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, lightly acuminate leaf with a sessile base and broadly cuneate that blooms in the spring in cultivation on a loose, distichous, 5.5 to 6" [14 to 20 cm] long, simultaneously opening, several flowered inflorescence subtended by a reclining spathe and having infundibular, thin floral bracts.
Keep plant in partial shade. Plant can be grown in cool to warm conditions. Pot the plant in fine bark with perlite or sphagnum moss. Water regularly and keep potting media moist.
Most pleurothallis really like high humidity; 70% should be considered a minimum. Most originate originate in cloud forests in the Andes, where 100% humidity is not unusual. It's easiest to provide this humidity in an orchidarium, and the plants are generally small enough that you can put quite a large collection in there!
Though there is a great deal of diversity in this genus, most like cool temperatures that stay below 70°F (21C). If temperatures get too hot, they will quickly dry out, shrivel, and die; possibly in a matter of hours. The higher the light, the cooler the temperatures need to be, and vice versa.
Pot size: 3"-4" pot
Plant size: 5.5”–6"
Flower size: 3/8" (1 cm)
Color(s): Red
Bloom: Blooming size
Bloom Season: Spring
Temperature: Cool (45º–75ºF)
Light Level: partial shade
Water: Keep moist
Fertilizer: Little every 2 weeks
Air circulation: Medium
Humidity: 60% - 70%