The large, showy flowers grow basally on a short peduncle in a single-flowered to few-flowered raceme.

Culture of members of this genus is highly variable, ranging from the drought-tolerant and easy-to-grow Tiger-like Trichocentrum (T. tigrinum) to smaller and more delicate species.

Extensive research into the ecological profiles of individual species may be required to achieve success cultivating them.

Many species from Central America apparently endure a prolonged drought for at least part of the year, and have developed succulent leaves to deal with these conditions.

Morphological characteristics of "typical" trichocentrums, such as being relatively small and squat with a short, few-to-several flowered inflorescence, contrasts sharply with the larger, heavier oncidiums with long, "mule-ear" leaves and showy, branched inflorescences with many flowers, or the "rat-tail" species with terete leaves.

While studies of molecular phylogeny has caused substantial reclassifications,[5] it is uncertain whether this new scheme will be widely adopted.