Cattleya Orchid

The Cattleya orchid is also called the “corsage orchid” because in the old days fashionable ladies used to sport an oversized Cattleya corsage to special events. Even though it is not so common to wear corsages anymore, the Cattleya orchid is still extremely popular among amateur and professional growers. They are perfect as cut flowers because they are long-lasting and come in an array of colors. The blooms are usually quite big; I’ve seen enormous Cattleya flowers that are as big as my face. (And I don’t have a small face by any standard!)

Bc Mini Purple 'Blue Hawaii'

The discovery of Cattleya was an accident. In the nineteenth century, a moss and lichen collector just grabbed some random sturdy leaves in the forest as packing material to protect his collections en route from Brazil to England. A horticulturist, William Cattley, saw the strange packing material and decided to grow it. Few years later, the strange plant produced some stunning blooms that rocked the world. The genus was therefore named Cattleya as a tribute to William Cattley, and the plant was then named Cattleya labiata. From then on, people started the crazy hunt for wild orchids in South America.

To this day, Cattleya orchids still define orchids; they are the benchmark of orchids. You may hear growers say “grow this orchid like Cattleya except a bit less light” or “this orchids need the Cattleya temperature.” Because Cattleya species are founded throughout tropical Central and South America, these orchids like intermediate to warm temperatures (55 to 65°F/13 to 18°C in winter nights and 15°F/10°C or so warmer during the day) and medium bright light. At home, it’s best to grow your Cattleya orchid by the southern, eastern or western windowsills. Provide as much light as it can take without burning the leaves; touch them to make sure they are not hot. When the plant receives its upper limit of light, it will show you a reddish tinge.

Cattleya labiata

Since Cattleya orchids are epiphytes, they like their potting material to dry out between watering. Or if you live in humid area, you can even mount your orchid on a slab of wood or on the tree in your garden. That way, you would never over water your plant!

American Orchid Society provides a good one-page free culture sheet on Cattleya, so you can print one out as a reference.

Cattleya Hybrids

The advantage of growing hybrids is that they can flower more than once a year. (Usually species can only flower once a year.) Breeders developed hybrids by breeding Cattleya orchids with related genera. For example:

Blc Port of Paradise

Cattleya x Laelia = Laeliocattleya (Lc.)
Cattleya x Epidendrum = Epidcattleya (Epc.)
Cattleya x Brassavola x Laelia = Brassolaeliacattleya (Blc.)

As you can see, the names are not super creative, because some orchid people are way too serious. They are just combing the genera together. But that way it is easy for us to understand what the makings are. When four or more genera are involved, people are forced to come up with more creative names like:

Iwanagaara Apple Blosom 'Fantastic'

Cattleya x Brassovola x Laelia x Sophronites = Potinara (Pot.)
Cattleya x Brassavola x Laelia x Dialaelia = Iwanagara (Iwan., short for I wanna grow ya!)

It is not very important to know these names, but if you happen to get a plant that has one of these abbreviations, then you know what they mean. The Cattleya hybrids require more or less similar growing conditions as the Cattleya species. But when you get into orchids a little more, you would know that, for example, Brassavola requires very bight light, so its hybrid with Cattleya also needs a bit more light.

Cattleya Species

Don’t limit yourself to grow just Cattleya hybrids. You should also try growing the species as they are equally

Cattleya intermedia

rewarding, if you can stretch your idea of equally rewarding to mean that they bloom half as much. My first recommendation is Cattleya intermedia. Mine faithfully blooms for me despite my neglecting it. They come in many different colors, such as pink and white. My Cattleya intermedia is white with a hint of blue, and the lip is partly reddish pink. These beauties are originally from Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Cattleya bicolor

Another one you should try is Cattleya bicolor. I love that these flowers look so waxy that they don’t even look real. They are bifoliate (each bulb has two leaves instead of one) and can bear up to five 2.5 inch (10 centimeter) flowers. The pink, green and reddish-brown bloom can give you weeks of enjoyment.

Other Photos:

Cattleya Borneo

CattleyaOjai Verde

Cattleya Mayumi

Cattleya Kurt

Cymbidium Orchid

Green Cymbidium Orchid

A Cymbidium orchid is a great starter orchid to try your green thumb if you live in coastal California, New Zealand,Australia, South Africa or the Mediterranean. Originally from a higher altitude in Central and Southeast Asia, and all the way to Australia, the standard Cymbidium enjoys a cool climate and strong light with partial shaded conditions. But the smaller-flowered terrestrial and tropical species live in different environments, so even if you do not have perfect Southern California weather, you can still grow these beauties. Let me tell you a little bit more about the different types of Cymbidium.

Cymbidium has retained its status as a celebrity orchid for thousands of years since the time of ancient China. Why do people love them so much? Cymbidium orchid hybrids produce up to 30 flamboyant and sometimes fragrant blooms on a single spike, and the flowers last couple of months. The Cymbidium I received for my birthday (boyfriend, here’s your acknowledgment!) in January still looked pristine in April. But wait, there’s more! Even if you cut those spikes and put them in a vase, the flowers will last just as long. No wonder Cymbidium is one of the most popular orchids for corsages. And even though there are only 44 species, thousands of hybrids have been developed to satisfy people’s demand for variety.

Standard Cymbidium Orchid

“Standard” Cymbidium refers to the large-flowered species from the Himalayas and China. These well-loved plants produce large, attractive flowers that come in many different colors. The roundness of these flowers is a very desirable trait and commercial hybridizers work hard to develop plants that produce the fullest looking flowers. Even though they are tolerant of extreme temperatures, to thrive and to produce flowers, they require frost-free cool nights (below 53°F/12°C) and warms days. Cymbidium demands a little more fertilizer than most other orchids, so be sure to apply fertilizer twice a month at half the strength that is prescribed on the instruction label. You can also use the slow-release fertilizer once a year and forget about it for the rest of the year.American Orchid Society provides a good one-page free culture sheets on standard Cymbidium, so you can print one out as a reference.

Miniature and Compact Cymbidium Orchid

If your living environment does not accommodate a standard-sized Cymbidium, you should consider growing a miniature or a compact Cymbidium. As a bonus, the flowers of these orchids are as showy as those of standard Cymbidium (two to three inches/five to eight centimeter wide) but are easier to bloom because they do not require a substantial chilling period to produce flower spikes. These Cymbidium will only grow to one to three feet tall and they bear up-right flower spikes with often fragrant flowers. These terrestrial orchids will flourish in an intermediate temperature year round.

Cascading Cymbidium Orchid Cascading Cymbidium has stolen the spotlight for quite a number of years now. They are very compact and produce smaller, yet profuse flowers. The cascading Cymbidium have pendent flower spikes that can reach up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) so you should grow them in hanging baskets or in a pot on a bench to maximize the stunning display. The flowers of the cascading Cymbidium could grow to be so dense that it totally covers the growing container. These floriferous (yes, that’s a real word) orchids do not require any chilling period; in fact, you should keep these tropical orchids continuously warm. No matter which type of Cymbidium you are growing, keep in mind that these orchids like bright light (shaded from direct sun nonetheless). If your plant has weak and lifeless flower spikes and dark green leaves, it’s telling you that it needs more light. Also, at least once a month, flush the potting medium with fresh water with no fertilizer, so that the accumulated salt can be removed from the pot. If that is not done, you can see that the tips of the leaves will turn yellow and burnt.

Other photos:

Cymbidium Orchid (Evening Star)

Cymbidium Orchid (Coronet Peak)

Cymbidium Orchid

Find more here :

http://everything-orchids.com/cymbidium-orchid.html

Types of Orchids

There are over 25,000 types of orchids and, in fact the Orchidaceae family is the most numerous in the plant world! These beautiful plants have been around for over 100 million years and plants can range from microscopic to reaching several feet in height. The flowers have a distinctive look with 3 inner petals surrounded by 3 outer petals and a cupped petal that is distinct from the others. Some orchids even resemble other creatures like bees, moths and lizards!

Although we think of orchids as a tropical flower they can actually grow in almost any climate. They can grow on the ground or on trees and even rocks. Orchids are classified depending on their water requirements. Paphiopedilum, Cymbidium and Odontoglossum need a moist environment all year long.
Cattelya, Oncidium and Dendrobium only need water when they are actively growing and the vanda Ascocend doesn’t really need water at all.

Cymbidium orchids are some of the most popular having 40 species and thousands of hybrids. These are one of the oldest cultivated orchids and can grow on the ground, on trees or on rocks. They can be found growing naturally in Japan, China, South East Asia and Australia. These are one of the easiest orchids for beginners and will flower every year if cared for properly.

Perhaps the most exotic of all orchids is the Cattleya which hails from South America. These are the orchids most typically chosen for corsages, however they have been over collected and many of these types of orchids are now endangered.

The Denrobiums are the second largest orchid genus and have over a thousand species. These flowers can be found in Northern India, South East Asia, Australia and Polynesia. They typically grow near the equator in tropical conditions, although some grow in climates with dry winters. While these are easy to grow, it is rather difficult to get them to bloom regularly.

Phalaenopsis orchids have long lasting flower and are rather easy to grow. These flowers are favorites at weddings and can be colorful in pinks, yellows and stripes. These are native to the Philippines and are quickly becoming a popular house plant.

Vanda orchids are another plant that is rather easy to grow. These plants produce flowers in vibrant colors such as blue, red, yeloow and orange. Flower spikes can have as much as 10 blooms that last for several weeks.

Orchids are a bit finicky to grow but these delicate plants will reward you with a soothing fragrance and beautiful distinct flowers. When growing orchids in your home, you need to remember to give them enough light, enough water and proper temperatures and fertilization. Orchids will need to be repotted every 2 or 3 years.

The orchid family, Orchidaceae, is the most numerous in the plant kingdom. There are about 25,000 to 30,000 known species of orchids around the world. Orchids are found in all continents except Antarctica, from hot tropical jungles to the cold climate in North America. However, some orchids are found only in certain region of the world and nowhere else, for example, the Vanda genus colonizes only South East Asia.

There are two types of orchids: terrestrial orchids and epiphytes. Terrestrial orchids, such as Cymbidium, grow on the ground, while epiphytes establish themselves on trees. Each type of orchids can grow in two different ways:

* Sympodial orchids: the new shoots emerge alongside of the old plants, causing lateral spread. Catleya is sympodial-epiphytes. Most epiphytic- sympodial orchids have storage stems, pseudobulbs or bulbs, to help them survive the dry season.
* Monopodial orchids: new growth is added to the apex, increasing the plant's height. The leaves are arranged alternately around the stem. Examples of monopodial orchids are Vanda, Phalaenopsis...

Most popular orchids grown today are hybrid species, creating by plant breeders in their hundreds of thousands. These "new" species may be the result of crossing two related species, or from three to four different genera.

Orchids are the most beautiful, the most sensual, the most exotic, and the most costly flowers. But you can enjoy them free at this site. If you want to know more about orchids, please visit The American Orchid Society and The Orchid Lady.

More on orchids and its hybrids visit this site :
http://www.flowerpictures.net/orchids/index.htm