Species · genus Epidendrum · Orchidaceae

Fire Star Orchid

Epidendrum radicans Pav. ex Lindl.

Also known as: Crucifix Orchid · Ground-rooting Epidendrum · Poormans Orchid · Rainbow Orchid · Reed-stem Epidendrum

Growth habit

perennial or subshrub

Native range

Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nicaragua, Panamá, Venezuela

Reference · E. radicans

Cultivars of E. radicans

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under E. radicans yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A terrestrial-to-epiphytic orchid from sunny, open slopes across Central and northern South America, often rooting in loose, fast-draining ground. It wants bright indirect light and an airy, coarse mix that never stays soggy at the roots. Water when the top inch of the mix has dried and the roots look pale rather than green, then let it approach dryness again before the next watering.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 10 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

15–30 °C

Soil mix

Coarse, free-draining orchid or terrestrial mix

Propagation

Stem cuttings or keiki offsets

Fertilizing

Dilute balanced feed every 2 weeks in growth

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Vivid reddish-orange clusters over long periods in bright light

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Fire Star Orchid yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.