Phrag. Sorcerer's Apprentice
(sargentianum x longifolium)
Source: Floradise Orchids
Potting: Medium Bark Mix/ 4 1/2" green plastic pot
I don't know if this plant is going to ever stop blooming! Including the flowers in the pictures below it's flowered three times, and as you can see in one of the photos yet another bud is up which will make the count five! All of the pictures I've seen of Sorcerer's Apprentice have only had 2 flowers open. I thought, being the great orchid grower that everyone makes me out to be (which I'm not by the way) I thought the third bloom was close enough to opening I'd have three to show you. But guess what? The day the third one opened the first one dropped! I guess that's why all the pictures are of only two flowers.
I really like this hybrid a lot. The flower spike alone is 2 feet tall and that's with not even holding it up straight! The intense red coloration you see on the petals no doubt came from the sargentianum part of the cross. Overall the plant is pretty compact excluding when it has a 2 foot spike. I've heard of some people having it bloom almost the whole year round. Now that would be pretty awesome!
I took a few photos to show what the plant looks like from different perspectives. The petals look more pink than red and I tried by best to fix it but they are still a little off. In real life they are sort of a lime green towards the base. It slowly fades into red eventually to the tips where they are sort of an ox blood red. Pretty cool.
- Natural Spread: Horiz 11.4cm
- Dorsal Sepal: Horiz 1.9cm Vert 6.3cm
- Petal: Horiz 1.9cm Vert 8cm
- Syns: Horiz 2.5cm Vert 3.8cm
- Pouch: Horiz 1.9cm Vert 2.5cm
Phrag. Penns Creek Cascade
(Grande 4N x wallisii)
Source: Floradise Orchids
Potting: Medium Bark Mix/ 4 1/2" green plastic pot
This Phrag has been in bloom for a couple weeks but I've held off until now on taking the pictures. Why? Well I wanted the petals to be close to their maximum length. The twisting petals on the first flower that opened measure in at 16" long! And this is on a first bloom seedling!
I can't get enough of this plant. Next time it blooms the petals should reach to around 22" in length!
It has taken me two days of trying to find somewhere or someway to photograph this plant. By far it's been the hardest to photograph yet. I finally settled on hanging the pot outside against the old white painted wood of the studio. It worked out very well in my opinion. Taking photographs of plants with petals such as these is difficult! I really hope you all enjoy these!
- Natural Spread: Horiz 5.7cm
- Dorsal Sepal: Horiz 2.5cm Vert 15.2cm
- Petal: Horiz 1.9cm Vert 40.6cm
- Syns: Horiz 5cm Vert 12.7cm
- Pouch: Horiz 3.1cm Vert 8.8cm
Paph. malipoense
Source: Floradise Orchids
Potting: Medium Bark Mix/ 5" green plastic pot
I've been putting off having a malipoense for years it seems, I have no idea why. Finally I decided it was time to get one. If you do not know anything about this species here's a little info
When malipoense bloooms the flower(s) smell of pine which researches have linked to increasing the serotonin levels in the brain. Pretty weird right? I can attest though that after smelling one I do feel a bit better.
This plant, like a few others on the site is a first bloom. I decided to take a few different pictures so you can see the flower from all the angles pretty much. Hope you enjoy!
- Natural Spread: Horiz 8.8cm
- Dorsal Sepal: Horiz 3.8cm Vert 6.3cm
- Petal: Horiz 5cm Vert 5.7cm
- Syns: Horiz 3.8cm Vert 5cm
- Pouch: Horiz 5cm Vert 6.3cm
Epi. Crystal Valley 'Cherry Ballet'
(Star Valley x radicans)
Source: Floradise Orchids
Potting: Tindara Mix/ 4" Clay Pot
For some reason Epidendrums are not really all that popular with orchid growers, I have no idea why. Just seeing the cloud of flowers that these plants bring up should make anyone want to grow them! They're practically almost always in bloom and if you have more than one if one is not in bloom there is sure to be another somewhere. They are also not expensive at all most are around 20-25 USD so it's not a big waste of money if you find you cannot grow them. I have another in bloom/bud listed on the left and am waiting for the maximum amount of flowers to be put out before I post it.
Pot. Free Spirit 'Lea' AM/HOS
(Pot. Twentyfour Carat x Sc. Beaufort)
Source: Floradise Orchids
Potting: Medium Bark Mix/ 4" green plastic pot
Wow! Talk about intense! The picture is exactly like what the flowers look like. This cross has been quoted as being one of the best mini yellow Cattleyas in the world. I can see why. The plant at maturity is only about 8 inches high and currently has another spike coming up behind the flowers in the photo. They have a very very faint fragrance. The only thing I can compare it to is it smells like roses. This is one of my favorite plants.
