November 2019 |
From Cindy Jepsen:
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Angraecum calceolusAngraecum calceolus is a very recent purchase for me. In fact, it came in bud and has been blooming for several weeks now. It’s a small 2” plant with three very long spikes. Currently I have it in an east-facing window, up high with filtered sun. I water it every-other day. Angraecum calceolus is from Madagascar and has very tiny, hard to photograph greenish yellow blooms |
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Cattleya maximaCattleya maxima: growing in a north-facing window in my greenhouse. It’s potted in medium-sized bark in a ceramic planter. It’s full of blooms and new root growth. |
From Jan Hennessey:
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![]() Stanhopea wardiiMy Stan. wardii, growing in my shade area under 60% shadecloth. I have had it for many years, a division from Lucky Marlin. It receives Costa Mesa water with no ill effects. I've divided her a few times and will be ready for another round after this blooming. Anyone interested in a division of this spectacular species, please contact me. |
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From Scott McGregor:
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Ceratochilus biglandulosusA tiny miniature with long-lasting crystalline white flowers, relatively large for the plant. It is mounted with scant moss over the roots, so does dry out on hot/dry days. I suspect water quality is critical for this one, more than temperature, humidity or constant moisture. I grow it fairly bright, like Fernandezia and D. cuthbertsonii. |
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Cleisocentron gokusingiiOne of the true (or nearly so) blue orchids, albeit a very light and slightly gray blue. There are two nearly identical species available-- Cleisocentron gokusingii has semi-terete leave and Cleisocentron merrillianum has terete leaves, but otherwise seemingly indistinguishable. Mine blooms 2-3 times per year with a handful of clusters and will occasionally flush bloom, which is quite a sight. The flowers are more deeply blue when it blooms during the cooler months. See photo on the right for a flush bloom during cooler weather. Beware of photoshopped pics on the internet that are intensely blue with oddly tinted backgrounds. |
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Pleurothallis grobyi HaircutHere's a pic of bloom aftermath instead of flowers this time... Pleurothallis grobyii has small green flowers in the Spring and not much to look at as a small plant, but as a specimen it is quite a sight. The only problem is that all the small stems remain and detract from the next bloom. Normally that's not a problem with plants that have a few spikes, but what about hundreds? Every couple years, I perform a labor of love and cut all the old spikes off-- the first pic is just getting started and the second is all done. Only cut off a couple green leaves by mistake! |
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Dockrillia bowmanii (mortii)This Australian species has long and thin terete leaves until Autumn when it flush blooms with 1” green and white flowers. The blooms are long-lasting and quite fragrant. The literature says this is a “hot” grower and needs a dry winter rest, but does very well for me outside and gets rained on all winter. |
Spiranthes odorata 'Chadd's Ford'Spiranthes odorata grows wild, broadly distributed across the US East Coast with the common name “Marsh Ladies Tresses”. This named clone has fewer but larger flowers than most wild clones, and they have a sweet fragrance as the species name would suggest. It reliably flowers in October. Easy to grow outdoors as a potted terrestrial; keep it moist/wet and give it Cattleya light levels. |
Miltonia moreliana (spectabilis var. moreliana)This is one of my favorite species, reliably increasing in size and producing large, colorful, long-lasting, licorice-scented flowers every October. It does tend to ramble outside of the pot, so needs to either grow in a basket or plan to repot every 2 years. It has been determined to be a separate species, rather than a variety of M. spectabilis |
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Miltonia moreliana variationsYou can't have too many of these beautiful outdoor-growing species! Two plants in bloom, side by side-- the one on the left is a select but unnamed clone that is very floriferous and fast-growing (plant doubles in size each year). The one on the right has two awarded parents: Miltonia moreliana 'Jean' AM/AOS x moreliana 'Newberry' AM/AOS. |
Restrepia brachypus v. striata |
Restrepia pelyx (dark form) |
Restrepia contorta |
Restrepia sp. |
With cooler nights, the Restrepias wake up. Many of these bloom throughout the cool season and have a wide variety of spotted and striped colorful butterfly-like flowers. They enjoy moist, shady and cool conditions, and best with R/O water. Pictured are R. pelyx “dark form”, R. contorta, R. brachypus v. striata, and an unidentified species (thanks Edie!) | |
Restrepia antenniferaHave to check them often, I don’t always spot their flowers right away! |
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Sobralia sp. (not S. macra)Labeled as Sobralia macra. I noticed something unusual on this Sobralia—note the two flowers at the top, but also the flower blooming from the bottom of the plant on a short, leafless spike. I’ve never seen a Sobralia bloom both off the top of the canes as well as with a leafless spike at the bottom. It has many of these bottom spikes. Andy Phillips has determined that this is a new species, as yet unidentified. It is pretty and fragrant—too bad it only blooms for a few hours…It is quite compact, only about 18 inches tall. |
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Sobralia fimbriataFringe to the max, and my vote for the most wonderful fragrance among orchid species. Sadly, the flowers only last a day, but reblooms a couple times per cane. One of the smaller Sobralia species—full grown at about 12-16” tall. I got mine as an import in 2014 and almost all the leaves promptly turned black and dropped off, but slowly came back after a couple years of sulking and seems quite happy now with multiple flowering canes.. |
Restrepia trichoglossaYet another restrepia... |
Trichopilia nobilis (fragrans)A nicely fragrant cool grower. |
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![]() Isochilus sp. (Colombia)A pretty unnamed species (designated “OZ”) from Colombia. |
![]() Sobralia yauperiensis
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Restrepia sanguineaYet another Restrepia, this one named for the blood-red color in the flowers. There are both spotted and striped forms of this species. |