Angraecum orchids

Angraecum is a predominantly Madagascan genus of around two hundred species, joined by representatives across tropical Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. Flowers are typically white, cream, or greenish, with prominent curved nectar spurs of sometimes extraordinary length. The genus is famous for Angraecum sesquipedale, the "Darwin orchid", whose thirty-centimetre nectar spur Charles Darwin predicted could only be pollinated by a hawkmoth with an equally long proboscis — a prediction vindicated four decades later by the discovery of Xanthopan morganii praedicta.

Plants range from modest monopodial species to large tree-climbing specimens. Night fragrance is a defining feature, reflecting the genus's hawkmoth-pollinated ecology.

General care for the genus (species, hybrids and cultivars vary, so check with the grower for a specific plant): warm to intermediate temperatures (18 °C nights, 28 °C day), bright indirect light (2,000 to 3,000 footcandles), high humidity (65 to 80 percent), regular watering with brief drying between. Medium bark in pots or mounted on cork for species that prefer air around their roots.

Iconic species include Angraecum sesquipedale (the Darwin orchid), Angraecum leonis, Angraecum eburneum, and Angraecum didieri. The hybrid Angraecum Veitchii (a famous primary cross from 1899) remains in cultivation. Listings below come from the nurseries we index, most of them re-checked nightly; prices are shown in USD.