Encyclia tampensis carries up to 45 small flowers on one branching spike. That is more blooms than most home growers expect from such a compact plant. This is the tampensis orchid, better known as the Florida butterfly orchid.
It grows wild on oaks and cypress across Florida and the Bahamas. It also thrives on a windowsill or patio far from either place.
Which Butterfly Orchid Is This?
Several orchids share the common name butterfly orchid. Encyclia tampensis is the true Florida native. Growers who want to be specific often call it the tampensis orchid instead.
A different genus, Psychopsis, also gets called butterfly orchid. Its flowers resemble a moth in flight, hence the name. The two plants are not related at all.
The plant profiled here is Encyclia tampensis, Florida’s own species. Everything below applies to this native, not to Psychopsis hybrids sold under the same nickname.
Identifying the Tampensis Orchid
The flowers are small, usually one to three inches across, and pleasantly fragrant. Petals and sepals run green to yellow brown, often with faint maroon striping. The lip breaks the pattern with white and purple, which draws the eye first.
Some plants produce alba forms, a rare green and white color break with no purple pigment. A mature tampensis orchid can hold up to 45 flowers on one spike. Ten to twenty is more typical for a plant grown in a home collection.
Bloom season runs from May through August, peaking in June. Flowers open with a light, sweet fragrance that grows stronger by midday. Many growers describe the scent as similar to raisins or honey.
Pseudobulbs stay compact, usually an inch or less across. Each one carries one to three narrow, leathery leaves on top. This growth habit fits the encyclia orchid genus generally, which favors small pseudobulbs and tough leaves.
Where the Tampensis Orchid Grows
Wild plants cling to live oak and pond cypress branches. Their range covers central and south Florida. The species also grows naturally in the Bahamas and Cuba.
For a wider look at native species, see our guide to Florida’s native orchids. Like the ghost orchid, Encyclia tampensis is one of Florida’s showcase native epiphytes.
Both species share the epiphytic growth habit. Their roots grip bark instead of soil, drawing moisture from rain and humid air. Neither plant tolerates being potted in ordinary soil.
Orchids form one of the largest plant families on earth. Roughly 25,000 to 30,000 species grow worldwide. Encyclia tampensis is one of the showiest natives of the continental United States.
Is It Legal to Collect One?
Florida protects Encyclia tampensis on its regulated plant list as a commercially exploited species. Collecting wild plants from public or private land without permission is illegal. This protection exists because habitat loss and past overcollection reduced wild numbers.
Commercially propagated plants are a different matter. Nurseries legally sell seedlings and divisions grown from cultivated stock. Buying one supports conservation instead of pressuring wild populations.
If you find one in the woods, leave it alone. Photograph it if you like, but do not remove it. Buy from a reputable orchid nursery instead.
Growing on a Tree in Florida
Gardeners in USDA zones 9b through 11 can mount this species directly outdoors. Live oak, cypress, and other rough barked trees make good hosts. This matches what the species uses in the wild.
Attach a young plant with fishing line, zip ties, or a small pad of sphagnum moss. The moss holds moisture while new roots reach for the bark. Roots typically grip the tree within a few months.
For step by step methods, see our guide on how to mount an orchid. Our guide to growing orchids on a tree covers placement and host selection too.
A tampensis orchid mounted outdoors in Florida needs little extra care once established. Rain and humidity handle most watering. A dry spring may still call for an occasional hose down.
Growing Indoors: Cattleya Like Conditions
Outside Florida, grow this species on a mount or in a basket with open, fast draining bark. A tampensis orchid grown indoors behaves like other members of the cattleya alliance. It wants similar light, water, and temperature.
Give it bright light, close to what a cattleya needs. That means 20 to 35 percent full sun, or roughly 2,000 to 3,500 foot candles. At least four hours of direct sun each day keeps growth compact.
Let the mount or medium dry between waterings. Most growers water two to three times a week during active growth. Avoid cold tap water, since water below 50 F (10 C) can stress the roots.
Night temperatures near 55 F (13 C) suit it well. Days of 70 to 85 F (21 to 29 C) work too. A 10 to 15 F drop from day to night helps trigger new spikes.
Humidity of 40 to 70 percent keeps growth steady. A small fan improves air movement around the roots. Good airflow matters as much as the humidity number itself.
Feed at quarter to half strength every two to four weeks during active growth. Skip any bloom booster formula. A balanced fertilizer applied consistently works better than switching formulas at bloom time.
Here is where many care sheets go wrong. They treat this species like a moisture loving Phalaenopsis. A tampensis orchid actually wants a real dry spell between waterings.
That dry rest between waterings is much closer to how a cattleya lives. Growers who keep the roots too wet often see rot within a season. A slightly underwatered plant almost always does better than an overwatered one.
Growing From Seed: The Honest Answer
Orchid seeds carry no food reserves. They will not germinate in soil or bark at home. Growers rely on sterile flasking, where seeds germinate on a nutrient gel under lab conditions.
Starting a tampensis orchid from seed at home is technically possible but rarely practical. Most growers buy flasked seedlings or mature divisions instead. Expect a multi year wait before a flasked seedling reaches its first bloom.
Packets of loose butterfly orchid seeds sold online will not sprout on their own. Treat any such listing with skepticism. Real propagation always starts in a flask, not a bag.
Wild vs Cultivated Care
Wild plants and windowsill plants face different pressures. The table below compares the two side by side.
| Factor | Wild Plants | Cultivated Plants |
|---|---|---|
| Water source | Rain and humidity | Hand watering, 2 to 3 times weekly |
| Mounting surface | Live oak or cypress bark | Cork, tree fern, or a basket |
| Fertilizer | None | Quarter to half strength, every 2 to 4 weeks |
| Humidity | Florida ambient, often above 60 percent | 40 to 70 percent, often needs a tray or misting |
| Legal status | Protected, no collecting | Legal to buy, sell, and grow |
Sources
- American Orchid Society: Cattleya Culture Sheet. https://www.aos.org/orchid-care/care-sheets/cattleya-culture-sheet
- College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii: Naturalizing Orchids and the Hawaii Pacific Weed Risk Assessment System. https://www3.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/OF-51.pdf
- North Carolina State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Encyclia tampensis. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/encyclia-tampensis/
Frequently asked questions
What is a tampensis orchid?
It is the common name for Encyclia tampensis, Florida's native butterfly orchid. It grows wild on oak and cypress trees across central and south Florida.
Is the Florida butterfly orchid endangered?
Florida protects it as a commercially exploited species, so collecting wild plants is illegal. Commercially propagated plants are legal to buy, sell, and grow at home.
How do you care for a butterfly orchid indoors?
Mount it or pot it in fast draining bark and give it bright light. Let it dry between waterings, much like a cattleya.
Can you grow a tampensis orchid from seed?
Not without a sterile flask, since orchid seeds carry no food reserves. Most growers buy flasked seedlings or mature divisions instead.
What is the difference between Encyclia tampensis and Psychopsis?
Both get called butterfly orchid, but they are unrelated genera. Encyclia tampensis is a Florida native, while Psychopsis is South American with moth like flowers.