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Why not grow orchids?


Matt in SD

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20 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

:greenthumb:  Coryanthes macrantha. and Encyclia prismatocarpa  ...Two excellent orchids indeed!   You notice any scent on the Coryanthes?

Yes it has a sweet spicy smell to it.

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  • 1 month later...

Aeranthes racemosa has been a consistent bloomer every year for me since I got it.  I love the arrangement of the leaflets on this when it isn't in bloom.  This is a rather short flower stalk compared to some in the past which hang down even further.  It's very unusual looking and something preferably hung high so you can look up into the flower.  Unfortunately, I have it down low most of the time and temporarily move it up high to enjoy.

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20200824-BH3I0896.jpg

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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I have this hybrid of some sort blooming for me once again this year.  I don't tend to grow hybrids, but this one came along with the other plants my dad recovered from his former home, likely from his ex-wife's late mother's once impressive collection.

Could it be Zygopetalum?  An intergeneric hybrid between Oncidium and another genus?

 

IMG_20200824_194854853.thumb.jpg.9cf478936e2f8d096a2b759149aaf486.jpg

IMG_20200824_194848337.thumb.jpg.8b89fba8d85895ab04fd731390d089a5.jpg

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On 8/25/2020 at 8:00 PM, Tracy said:

Aeranthes racemosa has been a consistent bloomer every year for me since I got it.  I love the arrangement of the leaflets on this when it isn't in bloom.  This is a rather short flower stalk compared to some in the past which hang down even further.  It's very unusual looking and something preferably hung high so you can look up into the flower.  Unfortunately, I have it down low most of the time and temporarily move it up high to enjoy.

20200824-BH3I0894.jpg

20200824-BH3I0896.jpg

Absolutely love it.  I love weird!

-Michael

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/28/2020 at 10:16 AM, Tracy said:

20200527-BH3I0098.jpg

I first posted a bloom on this inflorescence on this Encyclia vitellina May 4, the above photo was the same inflo in full force on May 28.... fast forward to September 9, over 4 months now from the first flower bud opening and it's still going and appears to have a couple more buds yet to open. I have another Encyclia vitellina which opened 2 inflorescence after this one, and completed blooming before this one.  I find this plant's flowering duration to really be exceptional.

20200906-BH3I0985.jpg

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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48 minutes ago, Tracy said:

I first posted a bloom on this inflorescence on this Encyclia vitellina May 4, the above photo was the same inflo in full force on May 28.... fast forward to September 9, over 4 months now from the first flower bud opening and it's still going and appears to have a couple more buds yet to open. I have another Encyclia vitellina which opened 2 inflorescence after this one, and completed blooming before this one.  I find this plant's flowering duration to really be exceptional.

20200906-BH3I0985.jpg

I see you have pods forming in the background also. Congrats!.. Wonder who is pollinating them.

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I've never really been into Orchids as such.... mostly because I've not taken the time to understand the propagation and care required. My father was a keen orchid grower, to the extent of building a hothouse when we lived in the colder climes ( by Aussie standards ) of Northern Victoria. He continued the hobby after a move to the milder region of the Sydney Basin. I helped my parents move ( 10 years ago ) to a nearby Retirement Village in Camden, NSW... part of the move included Dad's orchid collection, although we gave the majority away to family and friends.
I sorta inherited the looking after of the remaining plants upon Dad's passing in 2012....I do the 5,000 mile round trip from Darwin once or sometimes twice a year. My maintenance regime is based upon neglect mostly, although I did a a big repot about 2 years ago and I'm pretty generous with generic liquid fertilizers. Cimbidiums are fairly forgiving of course ( luckily given my zero knowledge lol ). So my mother was pretty happy with this winters flowers.
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Everyone tells me that Cimbidiums wont thrive or flower in Darwin... too hot and tropically humid.......low and behold I saw a large pot full at a local garage sale ( although these were not for sale ) several weeks ago.
1876147006_119037805_755039092002465_4875758492289345902_n(1).jpg.85eef434f06aeddda70e16d50714daf7.jpg
And this is a local ( Nepean River Valley, NSW ) orchid that my father and I 'found' down by the river on our property 30 odd years ago. Yes, yes, I know, a bit naughty, and in fact illegal to collect from the wild nowadays. I remember transporting one specimen home to Darwin at the time, but it didn't like our heat. This one pictured thriving on Mum's patio.
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  • 3 months later...

A hybrid orchid,  Zygolum Louisendorf 'Rhein Moonlight', just starting to open up its first blooms before Christmas.  Nice deep colors on it.

20201222-BH3I2068.jpg

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 3/6/2019 at 10:57 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Gotta love an Orchid that takes wet /cool California winters in stride, then can pretty much be left alone the rest of the year.  Grandparents in San Jose used to have several dozen varieties. They'd make regular trips to Rod Mclellan's place when he had his Nursery near San Francisco.  Trips i got to tag along when little helped get me hooked on growing orchids someday.  Favorite Cymbids are the pendant / hanging -flowering types, and the Hybrids between two Succulent sp. that can take a lot of heat and drought.. and have Black / Black-ish flowers, and smell like Chocolate or Coconut.

Silas, I know this is an older thread but that's a nice memory to share about McLellans.  I'm trying to locate any of their orchid catalogs from 1980s-90s Era as I bought a cattleya from them, still have it and its the best large purple I have ever seen.  I lost the tag years ago and really would like to know the name. I would likely recognize it in their catalog .

 

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3 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Silas, I know this is an older thread but that's a nice memory to share about McLellans.  I'm trying to locate any of their orchid catalogs from 1980s-90s Era as I bought a cattleya from them, still have it and its the best large purple I have ever seen.  I lost the tag years ago and really would like to know the name. I would likely recognize it in their catalog .

 

Yea.. they were a great company.. Think they still have a growing operation ..possibly in the Monterey Bay area ( south of where they used to be located, closer to San Francisco ) but think their main focus is wholesale.. Regardless, you might attempt e-mailing them to see if they have access to their old catalogs. 

Not sure if you have heard of them but Santa Barbra Orchid Estate is another place who may have knowledge on some of the older Cattleya hybrids.. Wouldn't doubt the owner knew the McLellans back in the day..  Already have a list of stuff i'll b purchasing from them in the not so distant future.

Will be nice when the current COVID situation has passed and all the Orchid sales/shows ( among all other big plant sale events ) get going again.. No doubt there will be plenty of pent up energy, ready to add new things to collections.

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1 hour ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Yea.. they were a great company.. Think they still have a growing operation ..possibly in the Monterey Bay area ( south of where they used to be located, closer to San Francisco ) but think their main focus is wholesale.. Regardless, you might attempt e-mailing them to see if they have access to their old catalogs. 

Not sure if you have heard of them but Santa Barbra Orchid Estate is another place who may have knowledge on some of the older Cattleya hybrids.. Wouldn't doubt the owner knew the McLellans back in the day..  Already have a list of stuff i'll b purchasing from them in the not so distant future.

Will be nice when the current COVID situation has passed and all the Orchid sales/shows ( among all other big plant sale events ) get going again.. No doubt there will be plenty of pent up energy, ready to add new things to collections.

Thanks Silas.  Those are good ideas and leads.  I will follow-up on them.  As time goes by it will only get more difficult to chase down  that information.  Yes, I agree with you  that people will be so anxious to get out to the shows again.  I think this is the time of year Miami usually has their big ones, if normal times.  The Covid has really created a boon in houseplant collectors which kind of surprised me, like a 70s revival.  Good luck with all your Santa Barbara orchid goodies!

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1 minute ago, piping plovers said:

Thanks Silas.  Those are good ideas and leads.  I will follow-up on them.  As time goes by it will only get more difficult to chase down  that information.  Yes, I agree with you  that people will be so anxious to get out to the shows again.  I think this is the time of year Miami usually has their big ones, if normal times.  The Covid has really created a boon in houseplant collectors which kind of surprised me, like a 70s revival.  Good luck with all your Santa Barbara orchid goodies!

Thanks, trust me, lol can't wait to re-start my Orchid collection.

As far as sale events, Lots of smaller shows/ sale events start popping up as we get closer to spring but the big show down in the Miami/Homestead area ( Redlands' Orchid Festival ) happens in May.. Crossing my fingers the current situation will be controlled enough by then for them to host the event. Pacific Orchid Expo, usually hosted in March might not be so lucky this year, unless they move it to some time later on.

Regardless, agree.. As challenging/stressful as the whole pandemic situation has made things this past year, it has allowed people to explore their green thumbs/  gain more admiration /respect for the outdoors/ nature in general... which might be the most beneficial way of dealing with everything else, and whose benefit will last a lifetime. 

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3 hours ago, piping plovers said:

Silas, I know this is an older thread but that's a nice memory to share about McLellans.  I'm trying to locate any of their orchid catalogs from 1980s-90s Era as I bought a cattleya from them, still have it and its the best large purple I have ever seen.  I lost the tag years ago and really would like to know the name. I would likely recognize it in their catalog .

 

 

3 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:


Not sure if you have heard of them but Santa Barbra Orchid Estate is another place who may have knowledge on some of the older Cattleya hybrids.. Wouldn't doubt the owner knew the McLellans back in the day..  Already have a list of stuff i'll b purchasing from them in the not so distant future.

While Nathan mentions SBO Estate, another place to consider would be Fred at Sunset Valley Orchids (Vista, CA).  Fred does a lot of his own hybrids but is probably familiar with many of the older crosses.  You can look through some of his stuff on the SVO website.  Another suggestion would be to post a photo here and see if anyone recognizes it.  While I can assure you I wouldn't be able to recognize and id a Cattelya cross, there are some people who visit the website occasionally who might be able to give you an id... my friend Carlos aka "Epiphyte" for example.

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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2 minutes ago, Tracy said:

 

While Nathan mentions SBO Estate, another place to consider would be Fred at Sunset Valley Orchids (Vista, CA).  Fred does a lot of his own hybrids but is probably familiar with many of the older crosses.  You can look through some of his stuff on the SVO website.  Another suggestion would be to post a photo here and see if anyone recognizes it.  While I can assure you I wouldn't be able to recognize and id a Cattelya cross, there are some people who visit the website occasionally who might be able to give you an id... my friend Carlos aka "Epiphyte" for example.

:greenthumb:Good call Tracy.. forgot about Fred. 

  @piping plovers  be careful when looking over his Facebook Page.. VERY addicting.. Many $$ will be spent w/ him as well, lol.

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11 hours ago, Tracy said:

While Nathan mentions SBO Estate, another place to consider would be Fred at Sunset Valley Orchids (Vista, CA).  Fred does a lot of his own hybrids but is probably familiar with many of the older crosses.  You can look through some of his stuff on the SVO website.  Another suggestion would be to post a photo here and see if anyone recognizes it.  While I can assure you I wouldn't be able to recognize and id a Cattelya cross, there are some people who visit the website occasionally who might be able to give you an id... my friend Carlos aka "Epiphyte" for example.

Thank you Tracy for another lead to pursue. I'll try reaching Fred and will keep my fingers crossed that your friend Carlos might even know when visiting the forum.  I'm attaching three images of the cattleya.  It is unifoliate, has what I would consider to be large leaves of heavy texture, blooms late Nov/Dec, very fragrant.  I chose the largest classic purple catt I could find in mclellans catalog in the late 1980s and this still seems to be a standard bearer to me.  For all I know this variety could have been offered through their catalog for decades prior to the 80s. 

 

1135413630_rodmclellanpurplecattimage1.jpeg.b3d2bacc03ce5f95bf3c500b450332ec.jpeg168817276_rodmclellanpurplecattimage3.jpeg.17dfd93e95c2370a75a7af18537e93bf.jpeg1629969509_rodmclellanpurplecattimage2.jpeg.a0d33b39cfc0c57c5e56e018d07eab71.jpeg

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12 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

:greenthumb:Good call Tracy.. forgot about Fred. 

  @piping plovers  be careful when looking over his Facebook Page.. VERY addicting.. Many $$ will be spent w/ him as well, lol.

I'm visiting the website SIlas and I can see what you mean.  Covid isolation and online plant shopping temptations abound.  Thanks for the caution!

 

 

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5 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Thank you Tracy for another lead to pursue. I'll try reaching Fred and will keep my fingers crossed that your friend Carlos might even know when visiting the forum.  I'm attaching three images of the cattleya.  It is unifoliate, has what I would consider to be large leaves of heavy texture, blooms late Nov/Dec, very fragrant.  I chose the largest classic purple catt I could find in mclellans catalog in the late 1980s and this still seems to be a standard bearer to me.  For all I know this variety could have been offered through their catalog for decades prior to the 80s. 

 

1135413630_rodmclellanpurplecattimage1.jpeg.b3d2bacc03ce5f95bf3c500b450332ec.jpeg168817276_rodmclellanpurplecattimage3.jpeg.17dfd93e95c2370a75a7af18537e93bf.jpeg1629969509_rodmclellanpurplecattimage2.jpeg.a0d33b39cfc0c57c5e56e018d07eab71.jpeg

Being that yours is a fall/ winter flowering, first thought that comes to mind is it could be a form ( or hybrid  ) of either Catt. percivaliana / or trianiae..  Both are among the few Cattleya sp. that flower that time of year, and were used extensively in hybridization in the past.  Wide petals / long, tube-like labellum/ lip, resembles the first sp.  Again though, just my guess:D

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19 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

I'm visiting the website SIlas and I can see what you mean.  Covid isolation and online plant shopping temptations abound.  Thanks for the caution!

 

 

His Cattleya selections are great for sure.. It's all the wild crosses he's doing with Catasetum / other Genus/sp. in that group, + other rare species he's working with i can't stare at for too long ( My "to acquire " list keeps getting longer ) Avoiding drooling over the pictures is one thing, knowing his nursery ( among a couple others ) will be close enough to visit -often-, fairly soon, is another, lol.

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6 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Being that yours is a fall/ winter flowering, first thought that comes to mind is it could be a form ( or hybrid  ) of either Catt. percivaliana / or trianiae..  Both are among the few Cattleya sp. that flower that time of year, and were used extensively in hybridization in the past.  Wide petals / long, tube-like labellum/ lip, resembles the first sp.  Again though, just my guess:D

Good observations and insight there, SIlas.  Yes, it definitely has the old-school appearance of the 1950s corsage type catts.  Those new crosses you mentioned are exciting, expanding the possibilities and forms, colors.  Good for you that you are in driving distance of such nice operations.  I'm in the wrong part of the country for a palm & orchid hobby and to see all that on a regular basis, but at least there's online ordering and the hope to do some cool plant buying travel in future .  Thanks again for the input.

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9 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

  I'm in the wrong part of the country for a palm & orchid hobby and to see all that on a regular basis, but at least there's online ordering and the hope to do some cool plant buying travel in future .  Thanks again for the input.

True, though i have heard cultivating Orchids has a pretty solid following back east, where you couldn't grow them outdoors except perhaps during the summer..

As far as traveling, yeah, purchasing something online is great, but, when you can venture to X nursery in X region, the experience is that much more fulfilling.. I only had the opportunity to attend both the Pacific Orchid Expo/ Redlands Festival once.. but boy were both worth it.. As were trips i'd make down to Homestead for other stuff while i lived closer to Tampa. or trips made here/ Tucson while living back home in the Bay Area in California.. 

 

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Ascocentrum pusillum - a miniture in full flower

Epidendrum (Nanodes) porpax - a small short stemmed Epi that forms a nice clump

Cleisocentron gokusingii - spectacular blue to purple flowers, these buds are my first on this plant, so its the big reveal.  I bought it before it was blooming size so I'm hoping for a particular shade of blue.

Pleurothallis phalangifera - a small Pleurothallis but prolific bloomer.  After having a couple of years success with this Pleurothallis, I may venture out and try some others.

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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I'm new around here, but I thought I'd share a few orchid photos from my palm garden in East Hawaii. These are all growing outdoors, mostly mounted on our native ohi`a trees. With our heavy rains here, cattleya blooms don't last very long, so I have to catch a photo shortly after they open.

1684882095_24lavcats.thumb.jpg.add8519109d3e4d180bc4848688f77ed.jpg

31163433_BlcKeowee3.thumb.jpg.d44e8145c896b17500c7827b6a0c48d9.jpg

1830074533_catOpraWinfree1.thumb.jpg.d4bbf692f8da24e71609674bcc32867a.jpg

1975261125_Dendrobiumfimbriatum.thumb.jpg.f614d374173aa07b48712ace618d4379.jpg

1582332150_Vandadrkpurple.thumb.jpg.c315abd03aa8d80232ee3f76b61fe725.jpg

628259064_Schom4-1.thumb.jpeg.1a7fdbf2d5e23424cdb9a1f0b154d7ed.jpeg

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34 minutes ago, Rick Kelley said:

I'm new around here, but I thought I'd share a few orchid photos from my palm garden in East Hawaii. These are all growing outdoors, mostly mounted on our native ohi`a trees. With our heavy rains here, cattleya blooms don't last very long, so I have to catch a photo shortly after they open.

1684882095_24lavcats.thumb.jpg.add8519109d3e4d180bc4848688f77ed.jpg

31163433_BlcKeowee3.thumb.jpg.d44e8145c896b17500c7827b6a0c48d9.jpg

1830074533_catOpraWinfree1.thumb.jpg.d4bbf692f8da24e71609674bcc32867a.jpg

1975261125_Dendrobiumfimbriatum.thumb.jpg.f614d374173aa07b48712ace618d4379.jpg

1582332150_Vandadrkpurple.thumb.jpg.c315abd03aa8d80232ee3f76b61fe725.jpg

628259064_Schom4-1.thumb.jpeg.1a7fdbf2d5e23424cdb9a1f0b154d7ed.jpeg

Spectacular Cattleya, Thanks for sharing!  Any idea on the cultivar name of Pic. #2 and/or #6?

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Orchid #2 is Blc Keowee, a very famous old hybrid with many awarded cultivars.

#6 is an unnamed hybrid between what used to be called Schomburgkia and some cattleya. No idea what the proper name of it is now. The flowers appear at the tip of a long stem.

Not that you asked, but #3 is Blc Oprah Winfrey

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1 minute ago, Rick Kelley said:

Orchid #2 is Blc Keowee, a very famous old hybrid with many awarded cultivars.

#6 is an unnamed hybrid between what used to be called Schomburgkia and some cattleya. No idea what the proper name of it is now. The flowers appear at the tip of a long stem.

Not that you asked, but #3 is Blc Oprah Winfrey

Thanks for the reply.. I thought #2 looked like Keowee but the colors on yours seem more vivid compared to some other specimens i'd seen in the past..  No doubt there can be variability among individual plants of course.

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25 minutes ago, Rick Kelley said:

#6 is an unnamed hybrid between what used to be called Schomburgkia and some cattleya. No idea what the proper name of it is now. The flowers appear at the tip of a long stem.

I'm guessing based on the description that it was a hybrid of Schomburgkia halbingeriana and a Cattleya. 

 

1 hour ago, Rick Kelley said:

1975261125_Dendrobiumfimbriatum.thumb.jpg.f614d374173aa07b48712ace618d4379.jpg

 

This looks like Dendrobium moschatum.  I have one that has just been hanging on for the last 4-5 years but I just haven't found the right spot for it to rebloom in this garden.  It was very fragrant as I recall.  Nice selection you posted too!

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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8 minutes ago, Tracy said:

This looks like Dendrobium moschatum.  I have one that has just been hanging on for the last 4-5 years but I just haven't found the right spot for it to rebloom in this garden.  It was very fragrant as I recall.  Nice selection you posted too!

D. moschatum or fimbriatum..

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  • 4 weeks later...

The yellow dendrobium in the previous post is fimbriatum.

Here are a few more orchids that have bloomed in my garden mounted on trees. The vandas stand up to the nightly rains, but the cattleya blossoms quickly develop black spots from  being too wet. I have to photograph them the day they open.1939132876_vandablue2.thumb.jpg.4c11c2091d1d5be12d532e06b14f3734.jpg

974104837_whitecattleyabamboo.thumb.jpg.0c03f9be2caa70c07baf9cd2d56ae6f8.jpg

1870789424_CaulocattleyaEthelsParadise.thumb.jpg.6350c04093ae710b183545a07e3bb00e.jpg

1538480826_odontoglossum1.thumb.jpg.c6fcbadf9331091324ad9a8069c75555.jpg

1765874731_semialbacat20.thumb.jpg.bafd17d611f9993dc6ac9937416882c4.jpg

906967391_Miltoniopsis1.thumb.jpg.e77d8894d4a59d31dc8a8835994c0fa3.jpg

400374895_BlcLawlessFreischutzXGoldenzelle.thumb.jpg.ee7725f8e2eca022a2d0bb9d23bd4a9d.jpg

553755789_Cattleyapurpurataredlip5.thumb.jpg.89014c1c9fbed768453c3f0cc8206df2.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

As winter comes to a close and we are on the precipice of spring, a nice miniature is starting to bloom,  Cochlioda beyrodtiana.  It is listed as a cooler growing species from Bolivia or Peru, that appreciates moisture.  Mine is in pretty heavy shade most of the year with some filtered light in summer.  The color is quite attractive and this year its pushing out 3 inflorescence with numerous flowers on each inflo which open sequentially.  Last year the two inflorescence had blooms open for several weeks.

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/21/2021 at 11:04 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Being that yours is a fall/ winter flowering, first thought that comes to mind is it could be a form ( or hybrid  ) of either Catt. percivaliana / or trianiae..  Both are among the few Cattleya sp. that flower that time of year, and were used extensively in hybridization in the past.  Wide petals / long, tube-like labellum/ lip, resembles the first sp.  Again though, just my guess:D

 

 

On 1/20/2021 at 10:30 PM, Tracy said:

While Nathan mentions SBO Estate, another place to consider would be Fred at Sunset Valley Orchids (Vista, CA).  Fred does a lot of his own hybrids but is probably familiar with many of the older crosses.  You can look through some of his stuff on the SVO website.  Another suggestion would be to post a photo here and see if anyone recognizes it.  While I can assure you I wouldn't be able to recognize and id a Cattelya cross, there are some people who visit the website occasionally who might be able to give you an id... my friend Carlos aka "Epiphyte" for example.

 

Silas, and Tracy and others who have given me helpful suggestions on this quest, I have *great* news to share.  After a 30 year search I have finally gotten an identification on my orchid!  

The purple cattleya that I purchased from the Rod McLellan Co’s 1988/1989 era catalogs has been identified as Lc. MOONWIND 'MT. MADONNA' (Lc. Eva Shill x Lc. Elizabeth Off).  I believe it was introduced in 1986.  I finally wrote a letter to the successor company to Rod McLellans after not hearing back by email months ago.  I think my emails bounced.  Within weeks, the Vice President/General Manager and staff grower contacted me with specific scanned pages of their archived catalogs for those years.  The grower believes it is Lc. MOONWIND 'MT. MADONNA' and after reviewing and researching I completely agree.  Both the description and photo were an identical match to my orchid plant.  None of the other purple cattleyas listed in the catalogs matched so closely in photos and description of bloom period.  Additionally, I searched online for this identification and the few returns of images and descriptions were identical to mine. 

After 3 decades this mystery has been solved.  With the abundance of time spent indoors this year with the covid lockdown, I really concentrated on this search more than ever  The most difficult thing was remembering the name of the company I purchased it from, but as I immersed myself into older AOS publications of that era, the trade advertisements, graphics, and the address of the Rod McLellan Co just stood out to me.  Other orchid enthusiasts, across the country, as well as the San Francisco Orchid Society members and former employees of the Rod McLellan Co have kindly responded to my emails and have offered suggestions and leads.

Many thanks for all your help.

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9 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

 

 

 

Silas, and Tracy and others who have given me helpful suggestions on this quest, I have *great* news to share.  After a 30 year search I have finally gotten an identification on my orchid!  

The purple cattleya that I purchased from the Rod McLellan Co’s 1988/1989 era catalogs has been identified as Lc. MOONWIND 'MT. MADONNA' (Lc. Eva Shill x Lc. Elizabeth Off).  I believe it was introduced in 1986.  I finally wrote a letter to the successor company to Rod McLellans after not hearing back by email months ago.  I think my emails bounced.  Within weeks, the Vice President/General Manager and staff grower contacted me with specific scanned pages of their archived catalogs for those years.  The grower believes it is Lc. MOONWIND 'MT. MADONNA' and after reviewing and researching I completely agree.  Both the description and photo were an identical match to my orchid plant.  None of the other purple cattleyas listed in the catalogs matched so closely in photos and description of bloom period.  Additionally, I searched online for this identification and the few returns of images and descriptions were identical to mine. 

After 3 decades this mystery has been solved.  With the abundance of time spent indoors this year with the covid lockdown, I really concentrated on this search more than ever  The most difficult thing was remembering the name of the company I purchased it from, but as I immersed myself into older AOS publications of that era, the trade advertisements, graphics, and the address of the Rod McLellan Co just stood out to me.  Other orchid enthusiasts, across the country, as well as the San Francisco Orchid Society members and former employees of the Rod McLellan Co have kindly responded to my emails and have offered suggestions and leads.

Many thanks for all your help.

:greenthumb: That's awesome!!    Glad they and others were able to help you track down the correct cultivar..  let alone additional information about it's parentage, etc.

Have a feeling going thru members on places like the Orchid Board ( one of a couple Forums for us Orchid junkies :D) might be the best way i get my hands on a few things i'd grown before moving here it seems aren't available anywhere i have looked/ might not be  offered again for a couple years due to lingering issues associated w/ the pandemic.  Regardless..

Was just going through/ re-packing a box of driftwood / sheets of coconut fiber i've hung onto thinking about what i want to attach to them later.  Might set aside a few mounts, post pics of them, and allow certain people to offer up their ideas on what i should attach.

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Yes, I also enjoy the Orchid Board too.  Hopefully you can find some of your old varieties through those contacts.  Great idea on the mounts.  The orchid photos people have been posting in this thread are just stunning.

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7 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Yes, I also enjoy the Orchid Board too.  Hopefully you can find some of your old varieties through those contacts.  Great idea on the mounts.  The orchid photos people have been posting in this thread are just stunning.

Agree.. As great as some of my Cacti are when they flower, Orchids are a whole different beast.. So many sizes, colors, shapes. A special part of my overall collection that has been sorely missed living here.

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  • 2 months later...
20 hours ago, John hovancsek said:

71FED6EE-8B04-4CAE-8557-19D10E42AD11.jpeg

Nice deep color on your Vanda coerulea.  I have been meaning to replace mine that died about 6 years ago.  While I've picked up a few other species of Vanda, I don't think I ever got another coerulea.  It would be just like me though to look at a tag next time I'm out watering and realize that yes, I do have one.  It's a very tropical looking genus the way the plants grow and the flowers are a very pleasant bonus.

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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Yes a beautiful blue vanda.  I have one and boarded it over the winter with a commercial green house.  It flowered twice, which is more than it would have if I kept it at home indoors over the winter.  The roots were so desiccated though, I don’t think they watered it consistently for the light it received.  It had an impressive root system for a vanda that’s grown as a houseplant half the year.

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Here is my vanda.  It looks purple in this light but usually has the typical blue you see in Hovancsek’s stunning vanda above. The background of my weeping European purple beech may be impacting how the blue appears on camera. Another cattleya in bloom as well.  I don’t have the cat name handy now but can find and post if anyone is interested. A Hausserman’s cattleya.6BDC5299-29B7-45FC-B010-60791A5FC4C5.thumb.jpeg.f30b6e4ed2ebd935efadb56855b183a4.jpeg27787270-DE90-456B-BA1F-D1D72BC20F84.thumb.jpeg.2a5b5b359392efc72bcfcfe63d3ced92.jpeg

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Sometimes you just have to find the right spot in the garden for an orchid.  Last year the new growths started to push out stunted flower buds which died before opening, so I moved this Rhycholaeliana digbyana to a different spot in the garden.  I was rewarded with a nice blossom with the classic fuzzy lip.  These are very fragrant at certain times of the day and night.  Since I just noticed today that the bud opened, I'll have to get back out and check to see when it is most fragrant.

20210525-BH3I4110.jpg

20210525-BH3I4111.jpg

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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2 minutes ago, Tracy said:

Sometimes you just have to find the right spot in the garden for an orchid.  Last year the new growths started to push out stunted flower buds which died before opening, so I moved this Rhycholaeliana digbyana to a different spot in the garden.  I was rewarded with a nice blossom with the classic fuzzy lip.  These are very fragrant at certain times of the day and night.  Since I just noticed today that the bud opened, I'll have to get back out and check to see when it is most fragrant.

20210525-BH3I4110.jpg

20210525-BH3I4111.jpg

Ah, what a classic beauty with that frilly lip!  And you can grow it outdoors in your garden.

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