Ludisia discolor 'Mascot'

Ludisia discolor ‘Mascot’ is a jewel orchid grown for its rich, velvety foliage rather than its flowers. The broad, dark leaves are marked with fine, pale veining, while new growth often emerges with warm reddish tones before maturing.

This is a terrestrial orchid that adapts well to indoor growing, terrariums, and warm, shaded positions with steady humidity. Although botanically an orchid, Ludisia behaves as a forest-floor plant and is best treated more like a foliage species than a traditional epiphytic orchid.

Care

• Light: Low to medium light. Bright indirect light is ideal; avoid direct sun.
• Water: Keep evenly moist. Do not allow the pot to dry out completely.
• Humidity: Moderate to high humidity preferred. Well suited to terrariums or sheltered indoor positions.
• Temperature: Warm to intermediate conditions. More tolerant of household conditions than many jewel orchids.
• Growing media: Free-draining but moisture-retentive terrestrial mix, often based on fine bark, coco fibre, and organic material.
• Feeding: Light, regular feeding during active growth using a diluted orchid fertiliser.

Key Characteristics

• Plant type: Terrestrial jewel orchid
• Primary feature: Decorative foliage
• Leaf colour: Dark green to near-black with pale veining
• Growth habit: Creeping, spreading clumps
• Typical use: Indoor plant, terrarium, shaded orchid collections