In its native habitat, B. auratum grows as an epiphyte on trees across Borneo (Kalimantan, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei), Malaysian Peninsular regions like Pahang and Terengganu, Thailand, Sumatra, and the Philippines, typically at 100–1,200 m altitude. Its growth is characterised by a creeping rhizome with dark olive‑green, grooved ovoid pseudobulbs (~1–2 cm apart), each topped by a single purplish, blunt‑tipped leaf.
Flowering occurs from spring through summer (and sometimes twice annually), producing a slender, purplish inflorescence up to ~15 cm long that bears a drooping umbel of shoe‑shaped flowers (~3.5 cm wide). These are pale yellow with scarlet or pink veins/spots, with fringed sepal edges and long hair‑like tips, and a dark scarlet lip.
Native to:
Southeast Asia—Borneo (Kalimantan, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei), Peninsular Malaysia (Pahang, Terengganu), Thailand, Sumatra, and the Philippines (Western Visayas), growing as an epiphyte at 100–1,200 m. Mature growth presents single apical purplish leaves atop olive‑green pseudobulbs with a creeping rhizome.
Water:
Maintain a wet‑dry cycle—water abundantly during active growth in warmer months, allowing the media to approach dryness before watering again. Use a free‑draining mix (e.g., bark, sphagnum, perlite) or mount on cork or tree‑fern slabs. Keep damp but never soggy; reduce watering gradually in autumn and winter, but do not let the plant dry out completely.
Light:
Provide bright, filtered light. Avoid direct midday sun; ensure good air movement.
Humidity:
Maintain around 75–80% relative humidity. B. auratum is well‑suited for terrarium cultivation—especially as the plant remains small.
Temperature:
Ideal daytime temperatures between 20–26 °C and night‑time down to 16–17 °C (8–9 °C diurnal variation). Intermediate–warm conditions year‑round are ideal.
