This Brassia is a real favourite of mine. I grow Brassia in hanging pots as they love to be watered heavily but they also need good drainage. I put extra drainage holes in the baskets to be absolutely sure I can then water heavily and frequently. They also love bright light, warm temperatures and good air movement. Brassia get quite large with time, so large hangers are needed, though B. verrucosa var. brachiata is one of the more compact varieties.
The foliage is quite pale on this, almost a yellowish green, which could at first glace be taken to mean the plant needs feeding but in fact it has to do with light levels. In much the same way as a Miltonia needs to be a pale yellowish green to flower well, the same seems to apply to Brassia.
Potting mix is generally medium grade bark chips but you could include some chopped Sphagnum moss if you prefer longer gaps between waterings. I tend not to use moss for this as plants then need repotting more frequently. Plants can be divided as needed but beware of dividing too small as this can impede blooming and it takes time for the plants to bulk up again. If there are backbulbs left over after repotting I don’t usually keep them as they seldom sprout into new plants.
Once plants reach a certain size, they begin to send up multiple growths (after years of only producing one), resulting in a nice show of flowers. On this species, flowers are produced after the new growth has matured but before new growth is produced. Inflorescences are nice and upright and seldom need staking. The flowers are a good size, nicely spaced and very pale with lovely green markings on the lip and petals. Scent is vague but floral.
