🌳 Description:

• Scientific name: Asconopsis Irene Dobkin 'Elmhurst' HCC/AOS
• Family: Orchidaceae
• Genus: Asconopsis (intergeneric hybrid Ascocentrum × Phalaenopsis)
• Origins: Hybrid developed in Taiwan; parents come from the tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia (India, Philippines, Indonesia, Himalayas)
• Domestic use: Ideal as an indoor ornamental plant, appreciated for its abundant flowering and vibrant colors; excellent as a gift or collector's plant
• Key features: Awarded clone with HCC/AOS (Highly Commended Certificate from the American Orchid Society); compact and elegant habit, with flowers of great visual and chromatic impact
• Average adult size: Compact plant, with leaves reaching 15–25 cm; erect flower spike of 20–40 cm with numerous flowers
• Flowering: Abundant and long-lasting flowering, typically in spring-summer; flowers appear in dense clusters of vibrant colors (pink, orange, red)
• Fragrance: Yes — delicate and pleasant fragrance

🌞 Light exposure: Medium light — prefers bright indirect light, without direct sun exposure during the hottest hours. Ideal near an east or west-facing window, or shielded in a south-facing one.

🚿 Watering: Water abundantly and allow the substrate to almost completely dry out between waterings. With a sphagnum substrate, be careful not to keep the medium constantly saturated: it is better to water when the sphagnum is slightly dry on the surface. Reduce watering slightly in winter.

🌡️ Minimum tolerable temperature and growing temperature: Intermediate-warm climate — recommended minimum night temperature 15–18 °C, daytime 22–28 °C. Avoid exposure to temperatures below 12 °C and cold drafts.

🌱 Type of soil and repotting: Grown in a pot with pure sphagnum substrate, which ensures excellent water retention and root aeration. Repot every 2–3 years or when the substrate degrades, preferably after flowering.

🌿 Fertilization: Fertilize every 2 weeks during the active growing season (spring-summer) with a specific orchid fertilizer diluted to half strength. Reduce to once a month in autumn-winter.

✂️ Pruning or other recommended agricultural treatments: Remove spent flower stems at the base. Remove dry or damaged leaves. True pruning is not necessary; keep aerial roots intact.

💧 Environmental humidity: Prefers high humidity, ideally between 60% and 80%. In dry environments, mist regularly around the plant (avoiding the flowers) or use a tray with pebbles and water.

Sizes are purely indicative and refer to an adult plant.