Cymbidium Tiger Tail - New Year surprise

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Guldal

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On the 30th of December I unexpectedly discovered, that the Cymbidium Tiger Tail, that I won at the first meeting of our orchid society last year (2022) was flowering.
I grow it in my cooler area (i.e. on my backstairs landing under a slanted window), and I have been very weary of wether I could make it flower again under my conditions?
Lo and behold, I was a happy man, when making the discovery - and the plant grazed our New Years evening table, where we quite appropriately had sushi, and I, myself, enjoyed a bowl of well whisked matcha!

Plant and flowers in toto: 20230102_154714.jpg

Flowers:
20230102_154957.jpg

Close-up in another light (colours closer to in real life): 20230102_155041.jpg
 
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I'm almost seething with jealousy. I was sold one of these by Seattle Orchids and it was yet again another one of their mislabeled plants that they absolutely refuse to make good on. In fact, this was one of the many mislabeled plants I got from them for which they actually blamed me for the issue.

That issue aside, it's interesting to see that the foliage is so grassy considering how wide and decidedly non-grassy the foliage of C. tigrinum is. 50% of the genetics but it seems like there's little or no influence in the foliage.

I can't speak to this hybrid specifically, but I grow C. tigrinum and so far it's been quite easy to grow and bloom in my non-cool conditions. It's basically growing in the same conditions as my warmth tolerant Cymbidiums, except I keep it indoors year round because it's very precious to me and the risks of growing outdoors like some of the others isn't a step I'm willing to take yet. I think the coolest temperatures it sees are maybe 60F (15.5C). Not that I'm saying you should change anything about your plant's culture, you're obviously doing something right!
 
That issue aside, it's interesting to see that the foliage is so grassy considering how wide and decidedly non-grassy the foliage of C. tigrinum is....
As I'm an absolutely Cymb-newbie your input made me search the internet for the other parent, Cymb. Alexanderi - it seems to be from that side of the family, that the grassy foliage stems.
In my book a lot of hybrids tend to be rather adaptable, when it comes to temperature, except of course if the cross is of two markedly cold growing plants. Otherwise it might be the hybrid vigour, that helps them along?!
 
Thank you, Angela!
Is it fragrant?
It has a very slight flowery scent - at least it's slight to this somewhat olfactoric inhibited person (Hooray, I kind of think, I succeeded in finding the most complicated way to state the simple fact, that I have a cold 🤧).
I, too, love the green/white combination - but a feature I find especially endearing is the spotted stribes on the interior part of the column 🥰
 
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i wonder why it was called 'Tiger Tail' when its nothing like a Tiger's tail. I suppose this could be albinistic breeding??
My homeconcocted explanation for its name is based on the fact, that Cymb. tigrinum is one of the parents - and that, what is left of that species' tigerstripes, is the striped spotting on the interior of the column (the "tail"), which I find so endearing!
 
On the 30th of December I unexpectedly discovered, that the Cymbidium Tiger Tail, that I won at the first meeting of our orchid society last year (2022) was flowering.
I grow it in my cooler area (i.e. on my backstairs landing under a slanted window), and I have been very weary of wether I could make it flower again under my conditions?
Lo and behold, I was a happy man, when making the discovery - and the plant grazed our New Years evening table, where we quite appropriately had sushi, and I, myself, enjoyed a bowl of well whisked matcha!

Plant and flowers in toto: View attachment 37590

Flowers:
View attachment 37599

Close-up in another light (colours closer to in real life): View attachment 37593
I’m intrigued by the medium; what is that? Top dressing? Or full medium? Thank you.
 
I’m intrigued by the medium; what is that? Top dressing? Or full medium?
The growth medium is my usual Greenmix: "GreenMix for Orchids is a mixture of water-repellent and water-absorbent granulate with added perlite and lignite. The granulate is made from stonewool, the basic element of which is diabase rock. GreenMix for orchids is produced by Grodania A/S". It was developed in a cooperation with The Eric Young Foundation (I think, it was) and our local mastergrower, Hans Christiansen of Orchidegartneriet, Fredensborg (yes him after whom the albino form of hennisianum, P. hennisianum fma. christiansenii, was named).
I just recently repotted the plant - after a short while, there starts to grow moss on the top of the medium, which makes for a nice green, upper surface.
 
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Jens, here's a virtual Kleenex....>. Dr. Angela recommends lots of vitamin C, lots of oranges and tangerines and
a vaporizer. Addendum: don't go to the office and spread that cold around. Admire that cym a lot and whisper
that you love it.
 

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