Species · genus Epidendrum · Orchidaceae
Lopsided Star Orchid
Epidendrum secundum Jacq.
Also known as: Thicket Star Orchid
Cultivars of E. secundum
The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.
No named cultivars catalogued under E. secundum 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 reed orchid
Epidendrum secundum is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae, one of a genus of well over 1800 neotropical orchids. It grows as a perennial, either rooted in the ground or as an epiphyte perched on other plants.
Source: Kew
Native range
This orchid comes from the Lesser Antilles into northern South America, with native populations recorded in French Guiana, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, and the Leeward and Windward Islands. It was first described by Jacquin and published in 1760. In the wild it grows primarily within the wet tropical biome, and beyond ornamental use it has been noted for environmental and medicinal purposes.
Source: Kew
Reed-like growth habit
Like others in its genus, this plant carries long, cylindrical, reed-like stems, sometimes called pseudobulbs, that grow in tufts from a short rhizome. Flowers form mostly at the stem tips, though occasionally along the sides as well.
Source: RHS
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
Bright, indirect
≈ every 10 days
High
15–29 °C
Airy, sharply draining orchid mix
Keiki offsets or stem cuttings
Weak orchid feed every 2 weeks while active
Moderate
Dense heads of lilac-pink starry flowers in bright light
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.
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 Lopsided Star Orchid yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.
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