Paph liemianum 'Orchid Loft' AM/AOS

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Leo Schordje

wilted blossom
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Meet the grand-daddy of many of the the liemianum now around in the USA.

Paph liemianum 'Orchid Loft' AM/AOS

This is a division of the original clone from Cryder, back in the 1970's it was one of the few & the best liemianum in US and divisions of the original traded at fairly high prices at the time. Most likely Cryder got it as a jungle collected plant. Fortunately it was a good seed producer, and today liemianum is quite common and inexpensive. These seedlings were not produced by me, I don't get into this story until 1994, when I bought a division from Arnie Klehm. Because blooming size liemianum were not common at the time, and CITES had already stopped importation of collected stock, I paid almost a week's wages for this division back in 1994 from Klehm.

Shortly after I bought it, I experimented with new potting mix that was the fad of the year, Rock-Wool. Failure to thrive would be an understatement. The kiss of death is to put a few plants in a different mix, and then forget and water them on the same schedule as the majority of the collection. I set this plant back to a mere fragment of a plant in a 2 inch pot. When I realized how bad of shape the plant was in, I repotted it back into the tried and true bark-charcol-perlite mix that I know and understand how to use. (I'm certain there are those who can grow well in Rock Wool, I am not one of them) It took many years to get 'Orchid Loft' back up to a nice single growth plant in a 3 inch pot, then I had a serious mealy bug infestation and it was back to a fragment in a 2 inch pot. This week, it is finally in a 4 inch pot with one blooming growth and two robust, healthy new leads, 16 years after I bought it. This is the first time I have seen this plant in bloom! And it is a lovely, well balanced liemianum at that. I am sure when the plant gets larger, it will put out larger blooms, but it still is a good quality liemianum.

liemianum-OrchidLoft560-June2010a.jpg


liemianum-OrchidLoft560-June2010d.jpg


For the taxonomically inclined, two of the diagnostics for liemianum are the red-brown markings on the undersides of the leaves and the definite dark brown hairs along the leaf edges, especially near the crown of the plant.

liemianum-OrchidLoft560-June2010c.jpg


liemianum-OrchidLoft560-June2010e.jpg
 
Poor thing!!!
What a storry....

She deserves another medal, just for the fact that she's still with us.
 
Great job on saving it so many times! Your effort definitely paid off, the flower is beautiful :clap:
 
Ah Leo, such patience! At least 1994 dollars were worth less :rollhappy:
.........

:mad: Arggh! It is mainly a hobby, but my hobby business model, such as it is, works like this;

Its okay to spend ridiculous amounts of money on a division of a proven plant (awarded, or a known plant with a track record, photo documentation, etc)

"this is only allowed if I am able to sell a piece of that plant at least once every 7 years, for about the same amount I spent to obtain it."

Didn't even come close on this one. But it is alive and finally healthy enough to bloom, and perhaps even to carry a seed pod. So it will finally start earnings its keep.

There is a small club in the orchid hobby, those who have killed really expensive plants. You recognize them by the sad forelorn look in their eyes, forever mourning the loss of both that unique plant AND that ridiculous amount of money they spent. (They often end up homeless, wandering the streets, especially after their significant others find out :rollhappy::rollhappy:)

I am truly delighted that 'Orchid Loft' has not re-newed my membership in the "Killers of Really Rare Plants Club".
 
I'll bet your heart sank 20 feet when you thought you were losing this plant. Congratulations of bringing it back, and blooming it. It's certainly worth it.
 
Leo, is it courage that comes from many years of great success, or is it addiction, that gets you to the point of buying a very expensive plant? I have gotten to a $150 Phrag Cardinale but beyond that point, I just see killing something and feeling awful. A $2,500 wonderful Phrag Don Wimber 4N and then it gets some rot and falls over? The money is one thing, but I would also just feel guilt at having killed a valuable thing. Better that someone more competent takes a crack at at.
 
All of Cryder's awards have the clonal name "TipTop". It does not appear he ever got liemianum awarded. Orchid Loft is/was out of Pennsylvania. pretty plant.
 
All of Cryder's awards have the clonal name "TipTop". It does not appear he ever got liemianum awarded. Orchid Loft is/was out of Pennsylvania. pretty plant.

My mistake, I was typing / posting from memory. I need to hit the award lists and see who 'Orchid Loft' was and what year it actually was.
 
Seems this plant isn't only a beautiful sight but has got also an extrem will to survive. Maybe that was the reason why you had to pay a small fortune for it??? :D
 

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