Cambria Vuylstekeara spotted orchid

Credit: Vera Buhl

Cambria Vuylstekeara violet and white orchid

Credit: Hectonichus

Orchid Cambria Vuylstekeara red and white petals

Credit: PhilippeS13

Cambria Vuylstekeara violet and white orchid

Credit: Ernest McGray Jr

Vuylstekeara Cambria, the orchid with zebra petals

In the Orchidaceae family, the Cambria genus includes only hybrid species. But for purists, the only true Cambria orchid is the Vuylstekeara Cambria. This variety, derived from the Odontoglossum family, has been a collector's favorite for over a century.

How to recognize the Vuylstekeara Cambria orchid?

An epiphytic plant, the Vuylsterkeara Cambria orchid has an upright habit. It grows to between 30 and 60 centimetres in height.

It produces new shoots horizontally from its rhizome. Each stem has a pseudobulb swollen at the base. It is adorned with long, lance-shaped, light-green leaves.

The Vuylstekeara Cambria orchid is not cultivated for its evergreen foliage, but for its flowering. Two to ten-centimeter flowers bloom on the flowering stem. They have the characteristic symmetry and shape of orchid flowers. The three sepals and three petals, arranged in a star shape, surround the labellum. White, they are striped with red, purple, pink or brown.

The Vuylstekeara Cambria orchid takes its name from its creator, the Belgian Charles Vuylsteke. Developed in 1911, it has given rise to numerous cultivars. Some, like Vuylstekeara Cambria Plush, have won awards from the Royal Horicultural Society and the American Orchid Society.

The plant is non-toxic. You can install it alongside your Macodes petola or Ludisia discolor without fear, even if you share your living room with pets and young children.

Our maintenance tips

Light and humidity are key to keeping vuylstekeara Cambria orchids in top form. To stimulate flowering, don't hesitate to take the plant outdoors between June and September.

Watering

Place your Vuylstekeara Cambria in its pot in a container at least twice as large. Pour room-temperature, non-calcareous water into the larger container.

Soak your Vuylstekeara Cambria for 15 to 20 minutes, then put the plant back in its place. If you're using a saucer or planter, don't let the water stagnate. You risk rotting the roots.

Spray

Mist foliage with non-calcareous water at room temperature.

Also spray the substrate to keep it slightly moist.

Repotting

Every spring, repot your Vuylstekeara Cambria to give it more space.

Vuylstekeara Cambria orchids are epiphytic. To repot them, use a special orchid mix of bark and sphagnum moss.

You can use a pierced, transparent or opaque pot. Choose a container only slightly larger than the previous one - your plant likes to be cramped!

Remove your Vuylstekeara Cambria from its pot. Remove the substrate from the roots. Pseudobulbs flower only once. Take advantage of repotting to remove those that have already flowered and those that have dried out. You can cut them off with clean, sharp pruning shears.

Your plant is growing forward. To give it more room, place the oldest pseudobulbs at the bottom of the pot. Fill in with substrate and pack lightly, without damaging the roots.

Start watering from the top, using non-calcareous water at room temperature.

If the air in your home is dry, place the pot on a saucer filled with moist clay balls. Water evaporation will improve humidity.

Fertilization

To promote the growth of your Vuylstekeara Cambria, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.

Use a special orchid fertilizer to stimulate flowering and growth of your Vuylstekeara Cambria.

Prune

Always use a clean instrument to prevent the spread of disease.

After flowering, remove the flowering stems. Pseudobulbs flower only once. You can cut them off at the base with pruning shears.

Cutting

Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.

Enter your Vuylstekeara Cambria. If the plant has at least six pseudobulbs, you can divide it. The rule is to keep at least three healthy bulbs and one young shoot for each subject.

Prepare a pierced pot filled with a mixture for epiphytic plants. Orchid substrate made from bark and sphagnum moss is ideal.

New pseudobulbs form in front of the old ones. Place them at the back of the pot, against a wall. This will give your Vuylstekeara Cambria plenty of room to grow. Fill in with the growing medium and tamp gently.

Water for the first time from above.

For one month, stop adding fertilizer and water from above.

Diseases / Threats

Grey rot - Botrytis

Mealybugs

Information

Family	Orchids - Orchidaceae
Type	Cambria - Cambria
Species	Vuylstekeara Cambria - Vuylstekeara Cambria
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Evergreen
Exposure	Sun
Substrat	Humus soil
Planting methods	In pots Bucket
Categories	Interior Flowery
Tags	Flowery Fritillary
Origins	Central America South America
Hardiness (USDA)	12a
Leaf color
Flower colors