Arditti and Ghani note that E. secundum has the distinction of bearing the longest seeds known in the Orchidaceae, 6.0 mm long.

The flowers are non-resupinate (unlike E. ibaguense and E. radicans), can come in shades of lilac, red, orange, or yellow, and feature a notable callus on the fringed trilobate lip.

Rather the flowers surround the central stem of the inflorescence in a cylindrical manner, producing a highly congested raceme.

Epidendrum secundum occurs in the montane forest of the Neotropics (up to 2 miles high), including Cusco, southeastern Peru and Brazil.

It has also been found in disturbed roadside habitats in Picingauba, Brazil, near sea level, together with E. fulgens and natural hybrids between the two.