• Masdevallia polysticta 'John' flower close-up showing species colouration
  • Parent plant of Masdevallia polysticta 'John' in a pot, with a flowering spike of white, spotted blooms and a plant label
  • Close-up of Masdevallia polysticta 'John' flowers: white with magenta spots, red column and yellow-green tails
  • Masdevallia polysticta 'John' raceme carrying several white, magenta-spotted flowers at once, above the leaves
  • Masdevallia polysticta parent plants in black pots on a wooden trellis, the centre plant in flower
  • Masdevallia polysticta 'John' parent plant in a black pot with a label, a flowering raceme arching to the left
  • Side view of a Masdevallia polysticta 'John' raceme with spotted white flowers, red columns and green-yellow tails
  • Masdevallia polysticta 'John' plant, not in flower, in a small black pot with a Belgrave Orchids label
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Images: Flower images show typical blooms of the listed plant or clone where available. Whole-plant images may be representative of growth stage and may vary in size and presentation. Accessory images are representative — colours and minor details may vary slightly. Individual items may differ depending on season and conditions.

Masdevallia polysticta 'John'

Masdevallia polysticta 'John'

$85.00 AUD
$85.00 AUD
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About this plant

Masdevallia polysticta 'John' is a selected clone of this distinctive cool-growing species, notable for one of the more unusual traits in the genus: multi-flowered racemes that carry several blooms at once on a single arching stem. Where most Masdevallia produce flowers singly, polysticta puts on a genuine display.

The flowers of 'John' are white to cream, heavily scattered with magenta-purple spots and dashes across the sepals, with a prominent red column at the centre and characteristic yellow-green tails. In full flower the effect is lively, and the plant is compact for the display it gives.

A genuinely unusual species for the collector who already knows the classics and wants something with real botanical interest. Rarely available in Australia.

Growing conditions

  • Prefers temperatures of 10–20°C with a cool drop at night
  • Bright, indirect light; avoid direct sun
  • Keep evenly moist year-round; sensitive to drying out
  • High humidity preferred: 70–85%
  • Excellent air movement is essential
  • Repot every 2–3 years in fine bark or sphagnum moss

What you'll receive

A division (a piece divided from an established plant), supplied at flowering size. The photographs show the parent plants.

Key plant information

Botanical nameMasdevallia polysticta 'John'
GenusMasdevallia
Plant typeOrchid Species
Growth stageDivision
Flowering sizeFlowering size
Primary climateCool - Cold

Growing information: Masdevallia Orchid Care Guide

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