Cleisocentron gokusingii blossom colors

[Tracy]

Just had the first buds open on my Cleisocentron gokusingii which I got almost 2 years ago.  It was a pre-blooming size.  Since these can bloom in various shades of blue I really didn't know what to expect when it opened, but I'm very happy with the color on it.  Small flowers but when a clump of them open it really is beautiful!  Anyone else growing this orchid that can share their bloom colors?

[Tracy]

A couple of examples I saw when purchasing my younger pre-bloom size plant.

[Tracy]

More blooms open now, and you can see the deep purple in the throat even better now.

[epiphyte]

Really neat orchid!  Have you been growing it outside year around?  

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, epiphyte said:

Really neat orchid!  Have you been growing it outside year around?  

Yes.  I keep the mount facing north so it's not getting direct sunlight.  It's at the edge of a covered patio with the house to the west, so no westerly direct exposure either.  During the summer it gets a little bit of late morning overhead exposure before its back into shade.  Its one that normally gets water from the RO, but occasionally will get SD County high tds water right out of the hose.

[Tracy]

So my label from Andy's Orchids identifies my plant as "Cleisocentron gokusingii (merillianum)", however labels are sometimes printed just as you are checking out.  I noticed that on Andy's website he only lists C merillianum as available, so it prompted me to check on the differences.  One of the links that popped was on the American Orchid Society (AOS) site, and it was about an award winning plant that apparently was initially identified as C. gokusingii, but clarified to be C merillianum... with thanks for the correct id going to Andy Phelps.  I'll have to send Andy some photos of mine and see what he says.  The AOS article link is below if you are so inclined to assess for yourself.

https://www.aos.org/sitf-blog/cleisocentron-gokusingii-determined-to-be-cleisoce.aspx

[Tracy]

On 2/16/2021 at 12:15 PM, epiphyte said:

Really neat orchid!

Carlos, I liked this orchid a lot for it's unique color, but I have been pleasantly shocked at how frequently it blooms too.  I have two of them growing and the larger one has put out new flowers in August, October and again in December this year.  This one is south facing growing in the shade of a Pritchardia which is in the adjacent planter (just above it).  I hope that the other one pushes out flowers as frequently as it gets larger.  I may end up with one or the other in bloom most of the year, as the other one has bloomed in the spring in the past.

[epiphyte]

So many seed pods!!  Who gets the credit? 

I have this in the greenhouse but it hasn't grown much, if at all.  

Which Brassavola hybrid is that?  Golden Peacock?  

You have any orchids attached to living hosts?  

[Tracy]

On 12/14/2021 at 3:36 PM, epiphyte said:

So many seed pods!!  Who gets the credit? 

I have this in the greenhouse but it hasn't grown much, if at all.  

Which Brassavola hybrid is that?  Golden Peacock?  

You have any orchids attached to living hosts?  

Q&A:

Q1 answer:  bees were the pollinator or at least appear to be. They were very active on the flowers.

Q2 answer:  I don't remember except to say that you recommended it on the trip to Sunset Valley Orchids a few years back.

Q3 answer:  Very limited number actually attached to living hosts.  A few attached to palm trunks, but nothing really thriving loaded with flowers yet.  My biggest disappointment has been my Cussonia spicata trees.  I was hoping they would branch lower giving me a nice host, but they are vertical overhead with no branching within reach.  One of two finally started branching last year but it's above my garage's roofline where it has put out several branches.  My guava trees shed their bark too often to be decent hosts, so I just have some attached to sticks hanging in them.

[epiphyte]

Tracy, how sad are you that orchids don't grow as easily from seed as say Aloes?  There's a Youtube guy in Florida who flasks a lot of orchid seeds... maybe he'd be interested in your Cleisocentron seeds?  Perhaps he'd be willing to send you a flask in return.   This year I exchanged some seeds from my Microcoelia exilis with Marni Turkel for a flask of Phalaenopsis pulcherrima v marmorata.   Well she sent them unflasked.  The leaves are splashy. 

That SVO trip seems like it was more than a few years ago heh.  I don't exactly remember which orchid it was that I recommended, but glad to see it's blooming.  

That's too bad that your Cussonia spicatas aren't more branchy lower down.  I feel the same about my Hercules.  Did you ever see Jeff Chemnick's Hercules?  It has a bunch of lower branches, so it's unfortunate that Rancho Soledad didn't use his as their source.   Not sure why I didn't take a pic.  

In nature there's an orchid, Polystachya ottoniana, that grows on cabbage trees.  Do you have it?  I highly recommend it.  I think the plant itself looks neat, especially when it's adequately watered.  

I'm always on the lookout for the best orchid hosts.  Just recently I ordered some seeds of Nolina excelsa.  First time ordering from that site, and haven't got the seeds yet, so can't vouch for it.  I'm guessing that the Nolina is going to be painfully slow from seed.  But we'll see.  If I get any seedlings I could save you one, since I owe you for that brom that you shared with me.