Show and Tell

From Lynn Wiand:

All orchids grown outdoors, coastal southern California

Bulbophyllum rothschildianum 'Adorbil' FCC/AOS

7 spikes …odor of rotting flesh…my cat searches for this hanging putrid plant

Dendrochilum magnum

easy grower…blooms every year..odd fragrance.

Stanhopea wardii

highly fragrant…bloomed with 3 spikes in August so this is a bonus…all my Stanhopias used to bloom in July but that pattern changed recently so now I am surprised often with an unexpected blooming.

Sigmatostalix (Ornithophora, Gomesa) radicans

From Brazil. I started this in a 4” net basket which is now in the center of this 18” wide ball…more flowers this year than ever. Strong but odd fragrance.

From Scott McGregor:

All orchids grown outdoors, coastal southern California

Coelogyne mooreana

A pretty winter-blooming Coelogyne that stays compact—I grow it mounted on a board.  The 4” crystalline white flowers are perfect until it rains on them!

Laelia superbiens

Long arching spikes at the top of the shade house; chameleon “Jeffrey” on the right, guarding the newly opened flowers from bugs.

Epidendrum atacazoicum (bifalce)

First time blooming for me… last year I got what I thought was a spike on top of a mature 3-4’ cane, but it turned into a pineapple like rosette of leaves (see bottom of picture). Then it decided to produce a spike of actual flowers and then a second try on top of that. Open to advice on culture so I can get mine to look like the one in the second pic! My canes look like the prize plant’s but not the flowers. Full sun perhaps?

Isabelia pulchella

Isabelia is a Cattleya-related genus of only three species, all worth growing.  Isabelia pulchella is from Brazil and my plant seems to thrive dangling from what used to be its 2.5” pot that is now just an anchor for the wire it hangs from.  The plant is now about 16” in diameter, 30” tall, and gets bright light and frequent watering.

Laela anceps 'Royal Flush Deja Vu'

Reliable, line-bred anceps clone.

Pleurothallis leptotifolia

An easy outdoor grower that forms a dense mat of “Leptotes-like leaves”, hence the species name.  The yellow-green flowers are fragrant, but not pleasantly so.

Laela ancesps f. lineata 'CC3319'

The lineata form of L. anceps has color-splashed petals and each year seems to be a bit different.  The first pic (above) is from this year and the second pic (right) is from two years ago when there was just a peloric splash on one of the petals.

Laelia autumnalis

Blooms every December/January for me—maybe should be L. winteralis!

Laelia gouldiana

Pteroceras (brachypeza) semiteretifolium

Cute, compact, easy outdoor grower from Vietnam.  I have two of these and my smaller one reliably blooms in September and this one in winter.  This December, I see just two flowers instead of the normal flush bloom, but 12 spikes initiated so I’m hoping for a late flush bloom in a month or two.

Restrepia trichoglossa spotted yellow 'Parsons'

A variable species with striped and spotted lips (this one spotted).  Blooms all winter.

From Roberta Fox:

Outside in the Back Yard:

Dendrochilum cobbianum

Prolifi, reliable, and long lasting. Color can range from white to yellow. The photo below shows it blooming on my patio

Dendrobium glomeratum (sulawesiense)

It has a reputation as a warm grower, but does fine on my patio, blooming several times a year. Saturated hot pink with contrasting orange lip makes excellent display.

Dendrobium strongylanthum

A small plant (total about 5 inches) produces copious nodding flowers. One has to get underneath and close up to really appreciate them.

Isabelia virginalis

Pseudobulbs are surrounded by "netting", nice contrast with the narrow leaves.

Mediocalcar decoratum

Little candy corn flowers. This grows more "on" than "in" the basket, slowly forming a ball around a 6 inch basket

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Mediocalcar pygmaeum

The "little brother" ... flowers are nearly as large as M. decoratum, but leaves are much smaller. This is a 4 inch basket.

Cleisocentron merrillianum

Long, terete leaves (in contrast to the shorter semi-terete leaves of C. gokusingii that I showed last month) Flowers are very similar for both species. This particular plant seems to have more intense blue color, but that may just be variation among individual plants.

Dendrobium serratilabium

Flowers with heavy substance bloom on bare canes. Name means "toothed lip" and it lives up to its name.

Cattleya (Sophronitis) brevipedunculata

Rose-pink flowers, about 1 inch.

In the greenhouse...

Bulbophyllum medusae

Many individual flowers make up the display. Short-lived but a wonderful show!

Angraecum leonis

Thick, succulent leaves. Flowers also have heavy substance, and are fragrant especially in the evening.

Epidendrum ciliare

I tried growing this outside, it bloomed occacionally but then languished. It has done much better in the greenhouse.