September, 2014 - Victoria Orchid Society

September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
THREE
Victoria
Orchid Society
Meetings:
2014
Inside this issue:
2 President’s Message
2 Nuts & Bolts for Newbies
3 Upcoming Events
3 Past Events
4 The Barbecue
5 Joe’s Greenhouse
6 Judging News
7 Upcoming Shows
8 Minutes of the June meeting
& Classifieds
9 Society Information
10 Membership form
11-14 Cattleya Around the Year
Laelia lobata ‘Fiesta’ x
L. lobata ‘Boa Vista’
Sept. 23rd
Oct. 28th
Nov. 25th
.
Justin Dunning’s lovely Disa uniflora Red #1 was
chosen as the best plant on show table at the June
meeting.
Members with last
names starting with
O, P & R are asked
to bring goodies for
the September
meeting.
From the Editor
Welcome back! I hope you all had a great summer enjoying the lovely weather along
with your orchids. Our fall season has a lot of good things happening.
We are starting the new year for the Society, so it is time to renew your membership if you have not
already done so. The membership form is on page 10 of this newsletter. Even if you are just renewing a
membership, we do need you to fill out this form. This is our record of your preferences and how to
contact you. Often these details change during the year and by the time renewal comes around they have
been forgotten. If you fill out the form and bring it to the meeting with you, it will save time as you will
only have to pay and get your receipt.
www.victoriaorchidsociety.com
Check out our website for information about the society, upcoming events, plant registration for shows,
regulations for bringing orchids into Canada, and what books are in our library and links to interesting
sites. The orchids from the display table each meeting are now posted on the web.
Contributions to the newsletter can be made up to 14 days before the next meeting date by contacting me
by phone or email. (250-385-8888 or enviroed@telus.net).
Logo photo D. Rowles
Page 1 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
President’s Message:
Welcome back to the fall session of the Victoria Orchid Society. September seems to
be the month we get back to a more organized existence after a relaxing summer.
As a great fan of our monthly show table, I always think it is a pity that we don’t get
a chance to see what members have blooming over the summer, at least within the
formal setting of our meetings: some of our membership have been kind enough to
open their greenhouses for viewing.
John Taylor
Fall 2014
I discovered the AOS webinars this summer. Any of you who are AOS members
should take a look if you haven’t already. The most recent one was on
phragmipediums. The next, later in the month, is on roots. The phragmipedium
seminar pointed out the excitement generated by the recent discoveries of Phrag.
besseae and Phrag. kovachii, in contrast to the relative lack of excitement about this
genus during the previous hundred years or so.
Sept. 23rd – Dave Nixon
Orchid Conservation
Oct. 28th – Pat van Adrichem –
The OTHER Phalaenopsis
Nov.25th – TBA
Dec. – Xmas Party
It is amazing that such startlingly attractive orchids are still being found considering
the long history of botanizing in that part of the world. A significant aspect of the
seminar was the importance of this discovery to hybridization.
Jan. 27th – Dino Basi
Feb. 24th - TBA
Mar. 24th - TBA
Apr. 28th - TBA
May 26th – Patricia Harding Cattleyas
June 23rd – AGM &
Annual Auction
Spring 2015
I prefer species, and I can’t say the idea of crossing the new phrags with the old ones
in every possible combination is the most appealing thing about them; but, we all
have different tastes and goals. A major goal for many hobbyists is, clearly, the
production of a flower that has a higher level of perfection in form or colour than any that have come
before. Ideas of perfection are a little subjective, however. I think it is just as interesting to see what
nature gets up to by itself, in the face of a rigorously-defined set of environmental conditions. It is
sometimes forgotten that most man-made hybrids would have no chance of surviving or reproducing in a
natural setting.
Which, as a final note, brings us to the speaker for this month. Dave Nixon is here representing the
Orchid Species Preservation Foundation and will have much to say on the importance of maintaining our
wild species.
John Taylor
Nuts & Bolts for newbies
Meeting Features:
Member’s sales table – Plants for sale require two tags, one with plant name, one
with seller’s name and price. The second tag is given to the cashier when the
plant is purchased. This is the record of the sale. The Society retains 15% and
the vendor is given a cheque for the remainder at the following meeting. If a
person sells regularly, a vendor’s number can be assigned. Plants must be pest
free and unsold plants are to be taken home by the seller.
The Raffle – Each meeting, we have two prize draws: for one, a yellow ticket may be purchased from
the prize draw desk. Numbers called from yellow tickets allow the winner to choose from the items on
the table. The other draw, usually done first, has a designated prize and is chosen from blue tickets
which are given free to members wearing name tags. These copper name tags may be ordered from the
membership desk for $9.00 (or $11.00 for a magnetic tag). We like to encourage people to purchase
these tags so that members get to know each other quickly.
Page 2 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
Upcoming Events:
The monthly meeting of the Victoria Orchid Society is held on the fourth Tuesday of every month
except July, August and December, starting at 7:30 p.m. The plants on the display table are presented
by experts, followed by a short business meeting, a coffee break with a prize draw of plants and orchid
related material, and a featured presentation. The meeting ends between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m.
September 23rd General Meeting, Dave Nixon of the Orchid Species Preservation Foundation of
Alberta (OSPF)
Dave will discuss the work of the OSPF which was formed in 1991 by a group of local orchid
enthusiasts to work with the Muttart Conservatory to help develop a world renowned orchid species
collection for the citizens of Edmonton and orchid enthusiasts around the globe. Dave will describe the
work that the OSPF does and its affiliations with other organizations. He will be bringing plants that are
looking for a good home and which will be available at reasonable prices.
Past Events
June 24th Meeting - AGM and Annual Orchid Auction
Lots of lovely plants, many happy purchasers
Justin and Bryan present the display table.
Page 3 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
Sunday, July 6th, Florence’s Barbecue
Beautiful
garden;
great food;
good company;
great prizes in
the draw;
powerful
auctioneers: happy winners
Photo by François Frutiger
Page 4 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
Joe’s Open House
A beautiful new greenhouse, organized and immaculate
Inside and out
Page 5 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
Judging news
At the AOS Pacific Northwest Judging Center (Richmond)’s judging at the Foothills
Orchid Society’s Show on June 7, 2014, the following AOS awards were granted:

AOS Education Exhibit Certificate, EEC/AOS 86 pts
Exhibitor: Gordon Heaps

AOS Show Trophy, ST/AOS 83 pts . . . . . . . . . . .
Exhibitor: Orchid Species Preservation
Foundation
Oncidium wentworthianum ‘Solar Stars’ CCM/AOS 83pts . . . . . . . . . .
Exhibitor: Gordon Heaps

Cypripedium franchetii ‘Foothills’ CHM/AOS 82pts
Exhibitor: Shawn Hillis
**note: award is provisional pending hybrid

name registration
AOS Artistic Certificate AC/AOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exhibitor: Shawn Hillis
Dendrobium ovipositoriferum ‘Sweet Carol Anne’
CHM/AOS 82pts
Exhibitor: Darrell Albert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
**note: award is provisional pending species
identification


Dendrobium stratiotes ‘Megan’s Beauty’ HCC/AOS 77pts . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exhibitor: Darrell Albert

Dendrobium White Grace ‘Sato’ CCE/AOS 91pts
(Den. Fiftieth State x Den. speciosum)
Exhibitor: Khanh Luu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dendrobium White Grace ‘Sato’ AM/AOS 86pts
(Den. Fiftieth State x Den. speciosum) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Exhibitor: Khanh Luu
At the AOS Pacific Northwest Judging Center (Richmond)’s Outreach Judging at the Penticton
Orchid Show on June 10, 2014, no AOS awards were granted.
Page 6 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
At the AOS Pacific Northwest Judging Center (Richmond)’s monthly judging on June 14, 2014, the
following AOS awards were granted:
Miltoniopsis Goldie ‘Sophia’ AM/AOS 80pts
(Milt. Sunshine x Milt. roezlii f. xanthina)
Exhibitor: Poul Hansen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Oncidium JC/AOS
(Onc. Solana Stirling x Onc. Fort Point)
Exhibitor: Art Macgregor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

At the AOS Pacific Northwest Judging Center (Richmond)’s Outreach Judging at the Fraser Valley
Orchid Society meeting on June 23, 2014, no AOS awards were granted.
At the AOS Pacific Northwest Judging Center (Richmond)’s monthly judging on July 12, 2014, the
following AOS award was granted:
Phalaenopsis bellina ‘Chen’AM/AOS 87pts . . . . . . . . . . .
Exhibitor: Pat van Adrichem

Upcoming Shows &Opportunities
October 17th -19th, 2014, FRASER VALLEY ORCHID SOCIETY
The Fraser Valley Orchid Society invites you to our annual Show and Sale. The
theme for 2014 is “A Symphony of Orchids”. The COC award will go to the
display that best represents this theme. Set up is on October 16th. Registration is
from noon to 6 pm. Please encourage your members to pre-register so we can
have the paperwork ready when you arrive. It makes everything go much
quicker.
www.fraservalleyorchidsociety.com
The Friday night dinner starts at 6 pm and tickets can be reserved through
myself at djgillis@shaw.ca. The price is still $15.00 per person. There will be a
50/50 draw, the show awards, then shopping until 10 pm. There will be no silent
auction this year.
We are once again in partnership with the Langley Hospice and are donating a metal picnic table to
their new garden space for bereaved children. This child friendly garden will provide an opportunity
for quality programmes that incorporate outdoor activities. We will be raising money through
canadahelps as well as half the raffle proceeds from our show. We look forward to a great show this
year and to seeing all the wonderful displays and orchids.
Dianne
Page 7 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
Victoria Orchid Society
Minutes of General Meeting June 24, 2014
The meeting of June 24th was held in the Garth Homer Centre. President John
Taylor called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and welcomed everyone to the
meeting. John reminded everyone this was the last chance to purchase tickets for
the summer BBQ and the trip to Paramount Orchids. We then held the annual
auction with Bryan Emery acting as auctioneer, assisted by Debb Ward and Rick
Rancourt. At the conclusion of the auction the general meeting was suspended for
the Annual General Meeting, then resumed at 9:10 p.m.
Calypso bulbosa
Bryan Emery and Justin Dunning presented the show table.
Secretary’s Report: MOTION: Elsie Gerdes/Nancy Cole moved that the minutes of the May 2014 meeting be
approved as published in the newsletter.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Treasurer’s Report: Jane presented the financial report for the month of May 2014 and moved for acceptance,
seconded by Ingrid Ostrander.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Other Reports:
New Business:
 Kathryn asked for volunteers to hold an open green house during the summer but no one responded. Joe
Chow had earlier agreed to hold one August 24th.
Next Meeting: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 at Garth Homer Centre.
Adjournment: The President declared the meeting adjourned at 9:35.p.m.
Respectfully Submitted, Kathryn Collins
Classifieds
email: davisconstruction@shaw.ca
www:kingfisherorchids.ca
Page 8 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
Society Information
General meetings are held at the Garth Homer Centre, 813 Darwin Ave.,
Victoria B.C., on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Members are encouraged to
bring in their orchids in bloom to display on the show table. They will be
photographed and posted on our website.
Guest speakers are engaged for these meetings and often, speakers bring plants for sale.
There is also a sale table where plants brought in by members may be purchased.
Laelia purpurata
semi alba ‘Sun’
Plant sales begin at 7:15 p.m. and the meeting runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Membership fees are $25.00 for individuals, $35.00 for households. The Society membership year runs
from September to September, but meetings are not held in July and August. Name tags are available
for $9.00, magnetized tags are $11.00.
Coffee and tea are available for $1.00 at the meeting and goodies are provided by members in rotation,
based upon the initial letter of their last names. Goodies are requested from those with last names
beginning with O, P & R for the September meeting.
The Victoria Orchid Society Newsletter is published monthly, around the 15th of each month, excepting
December, July and August. Newsletters will be sent by email to members with email access. Email
addresses will be blind copied. Upon request, copies of the newsletter may be picked up at meetings for
those not wishing to print off their copy at home.
Advertising, in the newsletter, is free of charge to members in good standing: $2.00 per business card
size ad per month to a member owned business ($20.00 per fiscal year), $5.00 per month to non-member
businesses ($50.00 per fiscal year). Businesses may also advertise on the Victoria Orchid Society web
site Classifieds page for the same costs.
The Society’s mailing Address is 1199 Tattersall Drive, Victoria, B.C. V8P 1Y8.
Officers:
President
John Taylor
Past President
Ingrid Ostrander
Vice-president Diana Rowles
Secretary
Barbara Davies
Treasurer
Jane Mason
Directors:
Joyce Wilson
Catherine Frutiger
Coreen Kempling
Nancy Cole
Justin Dunning
Kristi Leon
Rodney Crutcher
Kathryn Collins
Newsletter Editor: Diana Rowles
Web Master: Blair Humphrey
Proofreading: Joe Chow
Bulb. palawanense
Spring Show Chairman: Diana Rowles
Programs Chairman: Patrick van Adrichem
In emergencies, call John Taylor at (250) 250 479-0146.
Page 9 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
1199 Tattersall Drive Victoria, B.C. V8P 1Y8
www.victoriaorchidsociety.com
Membership Form
For 2014 / 2015
Please print clearly
Miltonia Venus
Victoria Orchid Society’s Flower Emblem
New [ ] Renewal [ ] Update [ ]
Date:
Name:
Address:
Postal Code:
Telephone:
Occupation or special interest*
City:
Province:
Email:
* optional
Enclosing a cheque for : Family membership @ $35.00 for a one (1) year membership in VicOS
Single membership @ $25.00 for a one (1) year membership in VicOS
Please order pinned name tags in my/our name
Please order magnetic name tags in my/our name
@ $9.00
@ $11.00
[ ]
[ ]
Please make cheques payable to Victoria Orchid Society in Canadian funds.
Send it to Victoria Orchid Society at 1199 Tattersall Drive, Victoria, B.C. V8P 1Y8
How many years have you been growing Orchids?
What are your favourite genera?
How many orchid plants are you growing?
What are your growing conditions? (check any that apply)
Greenhouse [ ] Sq. Footage [ ]; House [ ]; Windowsill [ ]; Lights [ ]
Are you a member of the American Orchid Society? Yes [ ] No [ ]
The yearly Membership Directory will be available in January.
Please indicate your preferences so we act accordingly.
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Yes, but without my telephone number.
No! I do not want to be listed.
Yes, please list my email address.
[
[
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The VicOS newsletter is sent out by email once a month (excepting July, August & December) in PDF format
and blind copied to recipients.
Revised September, 2014
Page 10 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
Digital Edition Article
I am adding this article because I always experience confusion about which of the pouches that form in
my Cattleyas (to house the flower spikes), is actually going to spike soon or whether it will produce a
second pouch that may flower six months from now. This article is a start to figuring out when my
Cattleyas should be blooming. Thanks to Orchids, the Bulletin of the American Orchid Society, Vol 83
No.6, June 2014.
Cattleyas Around the Year
by Gene Crocker
Cattleyas remain the most beautiful of all orchids, but in many cases they are losing in popularity to
others, such as Phalaenopsis, that have longer lasting flowers. While it is true that Cattleyas usually
flower for a short period each year, it is possible to have flowers the year around by choosing species
and their hybrids that have fixed flowering periods. This article is based on a calendar year, beginning
in January and ending in December.
January
Midwinter flowers are always welcome, and fortunately there are some Cattleya
species that are dependable for January blooms. The most important one is
Cattleya trianae from Colombia. The flowers are large and shapely, fragrant,
and usually appear in January. We have one clone, C. trianae ‘Mary Fennell’,
HCC/AOS that has been in cultivation since 1888. It is not virus-infected and
flowers regularly each year with large, round lavender blooms. Many C. trianae
have flared petal tips that are darker than the base color. This trait carries
Cattleya lueddemanniana ‘Crownfox
through many generations and is responsible for the tip flares in
Goliath’, FCC/AOS grown by RF Orchids,
Rhyncholaeliocattleya Toshie Aoki and certain other yellow hybrids. a
Homestead, Florida.
Photograph by Greg Allikas.
prominent hybrid that has lots of C.trianae in its ancestry is Cattleya Horace.
Cattleya Horace ‘Maxima’ AM/AOS is a vigorous grower that also flowers
in January and has been used to produce colorful hybrids that tend to flower in the January–February
time period. It is dominant for good form.
A second January flowering species is Cattleya loddigesii, a bifoliate plantfrom Brazil. It produces
several midsize flowers that have flat form but the sepals and petals are not overlapped. The common
ones are light lavender, but there are also white and “blue” forms. A number of hybrids have been
produced using C.loddigesii.
February
One of my favorite species, the bifoliate Guarianthe aurantiaca from Guatemala and Costa Rica,
flowers in February. The flowers are small, but they are produced in large clusters. The typical form is
orange, but there are other color variations. Flowers are waxy and the segments narrow, but when Gur.
aurantiaca is crossed with other species and hybrids, the form dramatically improves. This is one of the
parents of Cattlianthe Jewel Box (× Cattleya anzac [1921]) and Cattleya Wolteriana (× Cattleya
schroederae), and the grandparent of the very round Cattlianthe Hazel Boyd and Rhyncattleanthe
Bouton D’Or. Guarianthe aurantiaca gives vigor to its hybrids. The Brazilian bifoliate, Cattleya
amethystoglossa, also flowers in February. It is not too commonly seen in collections, for the
pseudobulbs are very tall. The upright stems of flowers are bright lavender with dark purple spotting.
Currently available tetraploid plants of C. amethystoglossa are more popular than the diploids. Not
many hybrids involving C. amethystoglossa are available.
Page 11 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
March and April
Guarianthe skinneri, the national Flower of Costa Rica, blooms in late February and early March. The
bifoliate plants break multiple leads readily and result in specimens that are frequently seen in the early
spring shows. The lavender flowers are produced in relatively large clusters. There are also white forms
and some that are a light pastel color. The natural hybrid with Gur. aurantiaca is Guarianthe
×guatemalensis (the man-made hybrid is Gur. Guatemalensis), usually a salmon to peach color, but
there are also yellow forms.
Cattleya mossiae, the “Easter Orchid” from Venezuela, blooms in March and April. The plants are very
productive and were used for corsage flowers when orchid corsages were customary for Easter and
Mother’s Day. It makes its growth during the summer and rests during the winter, blooming when the
days start getting longer. Sometimes the sheaths turn brown in the fall, but should not be disturbed, for
the buds will push up through the dry sheaths. Plants can be controlled using light and temperature to
flower for Easter, which may occur in March or April. Cattleya mossiae is typically a light to medium
lavender with a darker lip, but there are also white-with-colored-lip (semialba) forms, white forms and
near “blue” forms. Hybrids made with C. mossiae tend to also bloom in the March–April time period.
Cattleya lueddemanniana (syn. Cattleya speciosissima), from Venezuela, makes its growth in the early
spring and flowers on the new growth in March or April. It is similar to C. mossiae, but the flowers
have better form, with lips that typically have darker veining than C. mossiae. Since their bloom
seasons overlap, there is a natural hybrid between the two, Cattleya × gravesiana. Cattleya
lueddemanniana comes in the same color variations as C. mossiae. Its hybrids are not as seasondependent as the C. mossiae hybrids, and are usually influenced by the other parent.
May
Cattleya warneri, from Brazil, blooms in May. It is a large flowered species that
grows on a unifoliate plant. The leaves are among the widest in the Cattleya
genus. There are lavender, white-with-colored-lip and white forms, and some
especially nice “blue-lipped” forms such as C.warneri ‘Miranda’, FCC/AOS.
Hybrids from C. warneri can bloom any time of the year.
June
Cattleya (Laelia) purpurata can bloom from late May through June. This
Cattleya bicolor ‘Claire’, AM/AOS
unifoliate species from Brazil makes its growth in late summer and fall, so it
grown by William Rogerson,
Winnetka, Illinois.
needs to be repotted at that time rather than the late spring–early summer period
Photograph by Milton Wittman.
for most Cattleyas. Cattleya purpurata has a rather tall pseudobulb and long
AOS grown by William
narrow foliage. The rhizomes are short, so the upright plant does not outgrow the potRogerson,
quickly and does
Winnetka, Illinois. Photograph
not need as much room on the bench. The upright stems produce three to six flowers.
Colors
range
by Milton
Wittman.
from lavender to white, with some of the white ones having dark red-purple lips and others having flesh
pink lips (carnea). The werkhauseri and schusteriana forms have slate blue to purple lips.
Cattleya intermedia is another bifoliate from Brazil that blooms in June and July. The flowers are waxy
and medium in size. They tend to last longer on the plant and have heavy substance. They come in
various colors and have been used to make hybrids that also bloom in early to mid summer. One form is
peloric (var. acquinii). Pelorism means regularity in anything that is normally irregular and in this form,
the flower is trying to make three lips, so the lip colors show on the petals. Sometimes the petals pitch
forward like the lip. This color form is inherited in hybrids made with C. intermedia var. aquinii.
encyclias and hybrids of encyclias with Cattleyas tend to bloom in June and July. These hybrids are
now called Catyclias and can be very colorful and desirable.
Page 12 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
July
The largest flowered of all Cattleyas, Cattleya warscewiczii, (also seen as Cattleya gigas), blooms in
July on growths made in the spring. Sometimes the buds come up in the sheaths. The plants are large
and the flowers can be huge. Although it is not a bifoliate, I have seen 13 large flowers on one stem.
Unfortunately, the flowers have poor substance and only last about a week. It has
been used some in hybridizing. One inherited quality is large yellow eyes in the
lip. This species, from Colombia, is not particularly easy to grow. There are a
couple of famous clones, ‘Frau Melanie Beyrodt’, a white-with-colored-lip, and
‘Firmin lambeau’, a pure white. The ‘Firmin lambeau’ clone was discovered in
Colombia in the early 1900s by John lager, and was sold by him for $5,000,
equivalent to $100,000 today.
Cattleya gaskelliana, from Venezuela, flowers in July. It is fairly easy to grow
and flowers on the new growths. Flowers are not particularly large, but they
Cattleya dowiana var. dowiana
are usually attractive, pastel lavender to white colors. Some of the best “blue”
‘Kathleen’, AM/AOS grown by William
colors are found in C. gaskelliana and its hybrids.
Rogerson, Winnetka, Illinois.
Photograph by Ronald Setiawan.
July and August
Many of the bifoliate species from Brazil flower in July and August on the new growths. Some, such as
Cattleya tigrina (leopoldii) and Cattleya guttata, have tall pseudobulbs and make large plants with large
clusters of blooms. Their hybrids have much vigor and usually also flower in midsummer. A more
dwarf species is Cattleya aclandiae. The species is not easy to grow, but it has been used to make
hybrids that have large, dark spotting on sepals and petals.
Cattleya granulosa has been used to make green hybrids. There are bronze forms, but the clear green
ones have been used most in hybridizing. Cattleya Ann Follis is one of the popular green hybrids from
C. granulosa.
Cattleya bicolor also comes in bronze and green colorations. It has been used to give substance to
yellow hybrids,and the green ones have been used to produce green hybrids such as Bc. Binosa. Cattleya
bicolor, like many of the bifoliates from Brazil, has a “spade lip.” This means the lip does not have side
lobes but is flat and spade-shaped. This trait carries forward, especially in some of the modern yellow
hybrids. The flowers can still be quite beautiful.
Cattleya harrisoniana is similar to the January flowering C. loddigesii, and is often confused with that
species. However, the bloom seasons are several months apart. Cattleya harrisoniana has taller plants
than C. loddigesii, but the flowers are flat and medium sized and about the same shape and colors as
C. loddigesii. The alba form has been used to make the late summer “wedding bouquet” white hybrids.
All of the Brazilian bifoliates need to be repotted when they are actively growing and are about ready to
make their new roots. If repotted while dormant, they will frequently fail to
make a new growth and remain dormant for a year or more — or just give up
and die!
August
Cattleya (Laelia) tenebrosa is also from Brazil. It has large flowers that are
typically bronze colored with a purple lip. There are other color forms,
including the yellow ‘Walton grange’ with a purple lip and the greenish
yellow ‘Thanhouser’s Treasure’, which has a white lip. The bronze form is
used to give vigor and to intensify the color in yellow and red Cattleya
Cattleya percivaliana ‘Teresa’,
HCC/AOS grown by Carlos Cahiz,
hybrids. Cattleya dowiana var. aurea is from Colombia, and is the most
Miami, Florida.
famous yellow Cattleya species. The flowers have poor substance and only
Photograph by Greg Allikas.
last a week to 10 days in the summer heat. The large lips are dark reddish
purple with bright yellow eyes and good veining. It is a beautiful flower, but the plants are difficult for
most people to grow. It has been used a lot in hybridizing. The yellow color is recessive, but the
Page 13 of 14
September 2014 Volume 45, Issue #7
beautiful lip is dominant. It is in the background of most of the summer blooming yellow hybrids (the
yellow color coming mainly from the Brazilian rupiculous Cattleyas (laelias) such as Cattleya
cinnabarina). Cattleya dowiana var. dowiana is from Costa Rica and Panama. It is easier to grow and
has very different breeding characteristics. It is a color intensifier, and when crossed with lavender
Cattleyas will give very dark purple colors. If some C. tenebrosa is also present in the hybrid, the result
can be large, clear red Cattleya hybrids.
September and October
Cattleya labiata is another Brazilian species and the founding species for the Cattleyas genus. In 1818, a
Professor Swainson was collecting mosses and lichens in Brazil, and gathered some fleshy-leaved plants
(not in flower) to wrap around and protect his bundles. In England these outer plants were being
discarded, but were saved by an amateur horticulturist, William Cattley. When they flowered the next
spring they created a sensation, and the genus was named for Mr. Cattley. Cattleya labiata can be an
excellent choice for home growing, for it makes its growth during the summer (outside) and blooms in
the fall, then resting during the winter. There are many different color forms, including rich lavender,
white-with-colored-lip (semialba), white and some nice “blue-lipped” ones. Guarianthe (Cattleya)
bowringiana is a vigorous bifoliate grower from Central America that has always been a good species
for beginners. The bifoliate growths mature during the summer, and large clusters of lavender flowers
are produced atop them in the fall. There are also white and “blue” forms, and there are some nice blue
Cattleya Portia cultivars made from Guarianthe bowringiana and C. labiata.
November and December
Many large lavender hybrids from C. labiata and Rhyncholaelia digbyana bloom during November.
Cattleya percivaliana, the “Christmas Orchid,” can bloom during November but it more frequently
blooms in December. It is native to Venezuela, and makes a compact plant with 5-inch (12.5-cm)
blooms. Most C. percivaliana forms are various shades of lavender with very dark lips. They have a
pungent aroma which is a little bit strong for some people. Hybrids from C. percivaliana seem to follow
the blooming season of the other parent. When crossed with fall lavenders, they bloom in early
November and when crossed with winter hybrids they tend to bloom in January.
Conclusion I hope you can see the great variety available in Cattleyas. I did not include the compact
growers that are bred from Cattleya (Sophronitis) coccinea. They tend to bloom in the winter months
and have flowers that are long lasting. Why don’t you add some of these to your collection and enjoy all
that Cattleyas have to give?
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