This guy bloomed back in May, but it decided to put on another show before the end of the season. I'll probably re-pot it next spring since it's about to crawl out the pot. This might be my favorite bifoliate cattleya species I've grown, but I believe I owe that to Brain Monk's exceptional breeding. The color and fragrance are irresistible!
This guy is supposed to be C. wallisii f. alba, but it looks nothing like the pictures I've seen. I heavily doubt this is even a species. So it looks like I have another unknown hybrid. It's a bit disappointing, but I still like the pure white flower and the subtle rose-like fragrance it has in the morning. The plant itself is very healthy and vigorous, which I want to contribute to hybrid vigor. Anyway, I'd like to hear your thoughts on what this could be. Do you think it's a poor looking wallisii or maybe some other hybrid?
(B. cucullata × C. purpurata)
My favorite laelia species from central America
Yes, I know it needs to be re-potted like yesterday 😭
I got this species from Ecuagenera USA last year. I originally got one imported from Ecuador, but the plant was in terrible shape and slowly died until I decided to toss it and replace it with this much healthier plant. The flower doesn't quite look how I expected color-wise, but I kinda like the almost alba appearance. Maybe next time I'll get more of the purple coloration on the lip.
The fragrance on this species is unique to me. It smells exactly like dried roses, such as the ones I saved from my grandparents' funeral or the roses from my mom's wedding she dried and kept in her curio cabinet. It's not a particularly powerful, room-filling fragrance, but I get a good whiff every time I stop to admire the flower.
I have this guy growing in course fir bark in a terracotta pot. Next time I re-pot I think I'll put it in a more water retentive mix since this species likes a little more moisture than other cattleyas.
My favorite vandaceous orchid 🌅
It blooms multiple times a year, summer through fall, and has a fresh and soapy fragrance.
My favorite little yellow flowers that smell kinda like cucumbers, peppers, and tomato leaves. A vegetable garden in the summer.
Guys, I need you all to pray for some sheaths and buds for *at least* one of these new growths 🥹🤞
I'm so excited to *maybe* see this species bloom! It grew three new leads simultaneously, and now they all seem to be trying to bloom. I'll post an update when it blooms.
I have it growing in 2 parts fir bark to 1 part sphagnum moss in a terracotta pot. I soak it every 4-5 days, fertilize once a week. It gets ~14 hrs of light from my grow lights, enough to get those purple freckles on the leaves, which is typical for this species. Temperature stays in the 70°F-80°F range for most of the year. My ceiling fan provides decent air circulation.
Got this cattleya as a seedling about 10 years ago from Lowe's and now it's a humongous beast.
I don't have an ID for it, but it looks a lot like Cattleya Canhamiana.
It usually sends out +10 new growths at a time, and I keep it outside in a partially shaded location from late March to early November. It has large flowers and is very fragrant.
This was the first cattleya I got back in 2016 as a seedling from Lowe's. The only form of identification it came with was "blue cattleya", but it's definitely a hybrid of some sort. The purple veined lip and petal shape remind me of C. purpurata. My best guess is C. Canhamiana, but that might just be wishful thinking.
This baby is a beast, though. I have never divided it or pruned it apart from popping off old dead leaves or pseudobulbs, so I guess this could be considered a specimen size orchid. It's almost a yard wide and it sends out up to 12 new growths at a time, usually two flushes a year with one in the spring and another in fall. It's growing in a coconut fiber-lined basket filled with chunky fir bark. I keep it outside in a partially shaded spot from the end of March til early November (zone 8b).
Also, the flowers have a wonderful fragrance!
I managed to bloom three of my cattleya species for the first time this month. C. trianae, C. forbesii, and C. harrisoniana. All native to South America with trianae in Colombia and forbesii and harrisoniana in coastal Brazil. They're all relatively easy species to grow indoors. Just keep them warm, give them lots of light, and water frequently during their active growth stage.
Also, not pictured is my C. luteola, which is still blooming sequentially and looking cute. My C. intermedia is in bud right now and should be in bloom for next month.
I managed to bloom three of my cattleya species for the first time this month. C. trianae, C. forbesii, and C. harrisoniana. All native to South America with trianae in Colombia and forbesii and harrisoniana in coastal Brazil. They're all relatively easy species to grow indoors. Just keep them warm, give them lots of light, and water frequently during their active growth stage.