Cattleya/Laelia purpurata werkhauseri

[monocotman]

This is a good news story. A plant from eBay that turned out nicer than the photo. It’s originally from Buscal Orchidees in France about a year ago.
The plant was big with two leads and perfect foliage and no blemishes anywhere. It’s colour was dark green. Clearly whoever had grown it had given it less than optimal light otherwise it would have already flowered as the main lead had big bulbs but no flower sheaths.
Anyway a year on growing on a sunny south facing window has sorted the flowering and there are two spikes one with three and the other five blooms.
The label is also clearly correct! Another small victory. I’m pleased.
The last photo shows the plant next to one it’s progeny, X canhamiana coerulea.
If I get chance I’ll post better photos outside but after a truly tropical May with 50% more sun than we’ve ever experienced in spring, we are now into cold wet rainy June.




David

 

[Guldal]

Beautifull, David! And as I've just for the first to time ordered a plant from Buscal - usefull consumer info, too!

Kind regards, Jens

 

[abax]

Spectacular David. My old Canhonker was very
fragrant. Is this one?

 

[Ozpaph]

I love the pure white with that gorgeous lip

 

[DrLeslieEe]

I'm always amaze that you grow these high light cattleya species and bloom them in UK! Congrats on a great find!

 

[monocotman]

Leslie,
you have fallen into the trap of thinking that the UK is a cold damp island where it rains most of the time.
This may be partially the case in the west, but in East Anglia, nothing could be further from the truth, especially with these warmer year round temperatures we are now seeing.
Our local annual rainfall is about 23 inches. Last month (May) we had one rain shower of a few mm. We would be officially classified as semi arid if the annual mean temperature was any higher.
It is just the low evapotranspiration rate and small temperature swings thanks to the Gulf Stream, that means we have an excellent climate for many plants.
We receive a good amount of sun and I sit the plants in a south facing window with no shading where they receive maximum light.
So getting this species and another light hog, lueddemanniana to flower is no problem,
David

 

[Guldal]

David, why not tell him about the palm trees at the beach of Brighton? (dunno if they are still there, they were in my youth - and that was even ere a word about global warming was uttered!
God, this sounds as if I'm a fossil... even though I was just 10 y.o. when the oil crisis of the '70es started)

 

[monocotman]

Abax,

this one is very fragrant especially in the morning.
D

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Wow, beautifully grown and flowered. Hats off to you...

 

[eds]

I'm always amaze that you grow these high light cattleya species and bloom them in UK! Congrats on a great find!

I've burnt cacti and succulents on a South facing windowsill further north in the East Midlands! It's not always as grey and dreary here as people think! (Though it is today!)

 

[BrucherT]

I'm always amaze that you grow these high light cattleya species and bloom them in UK! Congrats on a great find!

Gives me hope for Chicago. Sam Tsui has packages of CATT species, 5 plants for $_____. I have south windows....

 

[BrucherT]

David, why not tell him about the palm trees at the beach of Brighton? (dunno if they are still there, they were in my youth - and that was even ere a word about global warming was uttered!
God, this sounds as if I'm a fossil... even though I was just 10 y.o. when the oil crisis of the '70es started)

They’re in Cornwall, I can’t find anything but photos of Dracaena and plastic palms in Brighton.

 

[BrucherT]

This is a good news story. A plant from eBay that turned out nicer than the photo. It’s originally from Buscal Orchidees in France about a year ago.
The plant was big with two leads and perfect foliage and no blemishes anywhere. It’s colour was dark green. Clearly whoever had grown it had given it less than optimal light otherwise it would have already flowered as the main lead had big bulbs but no flower sheaths.
Anyway a year on growing on a sunny south facing window has sorted the flowering and there are two spikes one with three and the other five blooms.
The label is also clearly correct! Another small victory. I’m pleased.
The last photo shows the plant next to one it’s progeny, X canhamiana coerulea.
If I get chance I’ll post better photos outside but after a truly tropical May with 50% more sun than we’ve ever experienced in spring, we are now into cold wet rainy June.
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David

stunning.

 

[southernbelle]

Lovely!!

 

[Guldal]

They’re in Cornwall, I can’t find anything but photos of Dracaena and plastic palms in Brighton.

You didn't look hard enough:
https://www.alamy.com/brighton-on-the-sea-image223109730.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=9BF9DC32-C083-4AD3-B3D6-D6C6CD3EEAD8&p=18801&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo=bar&st=0&pn=1&ps=100&sortby=2&resultview=sortbyPopular&npgs=0&qt=seaside%20palm%20tree%20and%20pier%20brighton%20uk&qt_raw=seaside%20palm%20tree%20and%20pier%20brighton%20uk&lic=3&mr=0&pr=0&ot=0&creative=&ag=0&hc=0&pc=&blackwhite=&cutout=&tbar=1&et=0x000000000000000000000&vp=0&loc=0&imgt=0&dtfr=&dtto=&size=0xFF&archive=1&groupid=&pseudoid=&a=&cdid=&cdsrt=&name=&qn=&apalib=&apalic=&lightbox=&gname=&gtype=&xstx=0&simid=&saveQry=&editorial=1&nu=&t=&edoptin=&customgeoip=&cap=1&cbstore=1&vd=0&lb=&fi=2&edrf=&ispremium=1&flip=0&pl=

https://www.alamy.com/a-palm-tree-b...-brighton-seafront-as-high-image64825653.html

 

[monocotman]

If you want superb palm trees In the UK try the gardens at Tresco in the Isles of Scilly.
D

 

[monocotman]

I find most catts adapt to the high light on a south window, but it takes some longer than others. You have to watch them. One or two never do and need an east or west window and I have fried a few leaves when I have not paid enough attention.
D

 

[monocotman]

Update from outdoors.


David

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Leslie,
you have fallen into the trap of thinking that the UK is a cold damp island where it rains most of the time.
This may be partially the case in the west, but in East Anglia, nothing could be further from the truth, especially with these warmer year round temperatures we are now seeing.
Our local annual rainfall is about 23 inches. Last month (May) we had one rain shower of a few mm. We would be officially classified as semi arid if the annual mean temperature was any higher.
It is just the low evapotranspiration rate and small temperature swings thanks to the Gulf Stream, that means we have an excellent climate for many plants.
We receive a good amount of sun and I sit the plants in a south facing window with no shading where they receive maximum light.
So getting this species and another light hog, lueddemanniana to flower is no problem,
David

Well I stand corrected lol.

I was basing my comments on my many visits to London only, assuming all of UK have the same cloudy days. Glad to hear that the opposite is true in some areas of UK!

Although during my visits to Scotland and Ireland, the days were cloudy in summer as well... hmmmm

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Update from outdoors.
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David

That lip colour is simply gorgeous! Please breed this on!