November 2024

From Scott McGregor:

All orchids grown outdoors, coastal southern California

Aeranthes ramosa

Very green flowers open successively on long wiry scapes. This is the most cold-tolerant of the Aeranthes species and does well outside. Here is the plant, no more flowers, alas. Tag shows that I got it from Andy in 2007 as “NBS”. It has two side-shoots in addition to the main growth, so maybe more spikes next year.

Barbosella dusenii

An oddly attractive mat-forming micro-mini from Brazil that slowly covers its mount and flush blooms with green flowers.

Cattleya (Sophronitis) pygmaea

The smallest of the Sophronitis species and well worth growing. In prior years, the flowers all opened at approximately the same time, but this year they have spread over a month and so there are old withering flowers and unopened buds. I grow this mounted and bright.

Ceratostylis retisquama (rubra)

A supposedly warm grower (less than 500 meters in the Philippines), this seems quite happy growing outside and has colorful flowers at various times during the year.

Coelogyne mooreana

Most Coelogyne species are Spring-blooming, but this species is a reliable Autumn-bloomer.

Epidendrum marmoratum

Just starting to open flowers on a spike, this rather odd-looking species blooms at various times during the year and has long-lasting flowers. Compact and slow growing, it has gotten about 50% bigger on the same stick mount after 14 years.

Miltonia moreliana 'Laurie' HCC/AOS
('Jean' AM/AOS x 'Newberry' AM/AOS)

A favorite plant of mine (and the clone is named after my wife!). Every outdoor grower in Southern CA should grow Miltonia moreliana! Easy to grow and the 4+” flowers are brightly colored, last a month, and are fragrant.

Maxillaria dillonii

I‘m not a big Maxillaria fan, but this one is a winner—easy to grow, stays compact, has relatively large 3-4” flowers, and blooms all the time.

Sobralia macra (not)

A small (14” tall), late-blooming Sobralia species, originally sold as S. macra, but probably not. Flowers last a day.

From Roberta Fox:

Coastal southern California

Outside in the Back Yard:

Aerangis mystacidii

Native to most of souteast Africa, over a range of elevations up to 1800 m. Mine has rather aggressive roots that grew off the mount, so I fastened the mount to a wood basket to give them more room wihout attaching to the wall.

Barkeria scandens

Native to central and southwest Mexico, elevations 1000-2000 m. Like Barkerias in general, it grows on a bare mount, and needs to dry out between waterings. I don't trim old spikes. The next year when the new one grows, and I can just break off the brittle part. The bare, deciduous canes are where the plant stores its energy. If you cut based on appearance, you'll probably destroy live tissue.

Gastrochilus retrocallus (Haraella retrocalla)

Native to Taiwan, elevation 500-1500 m. Each inflorescence can produce several flowers at a time, and produce more sequentially. The flowers are also fragrant. Flowers only about 1/2 inch, plant not much bigger. This is a cold-tolerant mighty midget.

Cattleya bicalhoi (Laelia dayana)

A Brazilian miniature, 2.5 inch flower on a 3 inch growth. This is the coerulea form. Elevation range 900-1300 m. When the genus was reclassified to Cattleya, the species epithet also needed to be changed to avoid conflict with an exisitng plant.

Cattleya (Laelia) kettieana

Another Brazilian species with a great flower-to-plant ratio. Flower is about 1.5 inches. This is one of the rupiculous Laelias.

Trichoglottis biglandulosa
(Ceratochilus biglandulosus)

Flower bigger than the plant, and the name bigger than both. Flower is a bit over an inch, the leaves about half of that. Native to Java, elevation 1000-2000 m. I tried it in the greenhouse, then outside It grew a little faster in the greenhouse, but only bloomed when I moved it outside, which is where it lives now.

Cymbidium dayanum

Last month I showed you the alba form of the species, this is the typical flower form. This plant has variegated leaves. Often variegated plants are less vigorous because they have less chlorophyl, but not a problem with this one. It has outgrown its pot and been divided several times.

Dendrobium (Diplocaulobium) stelliferum

A Papua-New Guinea native. Unlike Diplocaulobium aratriferium that I also grow, this one blooms only once a year (with far fewer flowers) , but the flowers last 4-5 days instead of less than a day. Also this species lends itself more to being mounted with short, more widely-spaced pseudobulbs and a rambling growth habit..

Dendrobium (Epigeneium) triflorum

Native to Java, elevation 1300-1600 m. The growth pattern is upward, so it has pretty much climbed above its basket and grows like a mounted plant. It can bloom several times a year.

Lycaste virginalis (skinneri) v. ipala

Not great form, but quite vigorous. Native to Mexico into Central America, elevation 1500-2100 m.

Pleurothallis dilemma

Name refers to the two little "horns" at the fop of the succulent leaf, the "horns of a dilemma". It produces multiple flowers sequentially from the same growth point. Native to Ecuador, 1800-2000 m. The leaf shape reminds me of a green bean.

Miltonia moreliana

Mine is just a generic plant, form isn't great but lovely dark, almost velvety segments. And floriforous... not complaining.

Prosthechea cochleata

The "cockle shell" or "octopus" orchid. It will bloom sequentially for the next 6-7 months, and by the time it's done in late spring, the spikes will be 2 teet long and not as photogenic. Native to a wide range of the tropical Americas, from Florida to Colombia at a wide range of elevations.

Prosthechea garciana

Like many (even most) of the genus, the flowers are non-resupinate (lip upward) This example has particularly dark color for the species. It continues to produce flowers over several months. Native to Venezuela, elevation around 1200 m.

Cattleya (Sophronitis) cernua

What they lack in size, they make up for with color. And floriforousess... 5 on this inflorescence, and at least one more inflorescence on the way. They emerge from the new growths as the leaves open, with no sheath.

Zygopetalum maxillare

Native to southern Brazil, northeast Argentina, and Paraguay,around 1300 m. Grows relatively shady, and damp.

Vanda roeblingiana

After having two spikes blast from a nasty scale infestation (now gone) the plant succeeded on the third try. Native to the Philippines, around 1600 m.

Guardian of the orchids (and a bit of a bully)

In the greenhouse...

Bulbophylum echinolabium

Rather smelly, but that can be forgiven with this 12 inch flower. (Just don't stand too close...) Each inflorescence can produce 2-3 (or more) flowers sequentially.

Polystachya galeata

Large flowers for the genus. This blooming produced the largest flower that I have seen on the plant - about 1.5 inches tall and an inch wide. It can proudce multiple flowers sequentially on an inflorescence. Native to a large area of tropical Africa

From Tom Mudge:

Outdoors, San Francisco peninsula

(Somewhat inland and higher elevation, a unique "banana belt" climate)

Cattleya pumila

Grown with high light, drier in winter

Dendrobium victoria-reginae

Handles cool weather no problem. Watered year round.

Epidendrum porphyreum

Loves Bay Area weather, becoming a specimen plant quickly.

Gomesa flexuosa

From Brazil. Blooms better with more light.

Miltonia regnellii

Grown under low light, gets some water in winter (unlike Milt. spectabilis that gets none)

Ypsilopus (Rangaeris) amaniensis

From Arnold Markman:
Coastal San Diego area Intermediate Greenhouse, 60% shade cloth, daily watering unless otherwise noted.

Aerangis luteoalba v. rhodosticta This orchid comes from multiple areas of Africa where they grow in riverine forest up to 2200 m.

Bulbophyllum rothschildianum This spectacular orchid is from southern China, northern India, and Burma. Most websites say they should be planted in pots or baskets but I decided to grow mine mounted and it seems to like it.

Bulbophyllum tingabarinum f. alba This Bulbophyllum comes from Vietnam. I’ve had it for four years in a basket with moss and the blooms never seemed to materialize. I recently mounted it on a piece of fern tree bark and voilà!.

Cleisocentron gokusingii This is my second bloom of this plant this year. And in the cooler fall weather, it is even bluer. It grows in Borneo at about 2000 m.

Coelogyne cristata v. grandiflora This plant is from the montane forests in the Himalayas and grow as high as 2600 m. I bought this one from Andy Phillips and on his website he says it blooms in the spring. Orchids don't read...

Coelogyne usitana I was concerned because it grows on Mindanao island in the Philippines at 800 m and does not like it to get cool. My greenhouse has gotten down to the low 50s in the winter at night. It seems to always be in bloom, flowers emerge sequentially. Here I caught it with two on an inflorescence, before the older one dropped.

Dracula chimera
	Dracula villegasii
Lepanthes inca This miniature grows high in the mountains of Peru. I keep it at the cooler end of my greenhouse as, but it has survived brief temperatures into the low 90s during our rare hot spells in coastal Encinitas. It seems to bloom year round.

Maxillaria elatior This one is from Mexico, where it grows in evergreen forests at 1500 m. It has a climbing rhizome. (Ed: it also grows in most of Central America)

Telipogon williamsii This plant from high in the Andes of Ecuador at 1500 m, has done quite well for me even though I worried it was not getting cold enough. This plant has flowered twice this year and this second flowering has two inflorescences