Paphiopedilum purpuratum

[jokerpass]

Paphiopedilum purpuratum-This is a mottled leaf Paphiopedilum species, intermediate to warm conditions all year round. Blooms in the fall. Regular mottled leaf Paphiopedilum culture, nothing special, pretty easy and clumps easily. It bloomed last year and it is blooming again this year. It is blooming on a new growth which just grew this year, so it is able to rebloom in just 1 growing season, I am a bit surprised by it. Cinnamon on the leaves to prevent cats.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Cool.... Mine just keeps clumping. No sign of blooms yet.

 

[Ozpaph]

cats eat paphs???

 

[jokerpass]

Yes,

 

[Paphluvr]

cats eat paphs???

Oh yea! They find them particularly tasty after fertilizing with fish emulsion. Oops.

 

[jokerpass]

one of my cat is bad, she will just eat the leaves when she is hungry or wants attention.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

one of my cat is bad, she will just eat the leaves when she is hungry or wants attention.

That’s why I don’t have cats. They will not win my affection for orchids!

 

[Linus_Cello]

Catt alba the other white orchid
Cat the other other white meat.

 

[BrucherT]

Aww it’s my favorite species! It’s VERY special! Dr. Koopowitz chronicles its tragic story of destruction in PLANT EXTINCTION: A GLOBAL CRISIS; it existed in the millions in what is now Hong Kong but from the 1950s-60s was plowed under for development as well as being ripped out, in bloom, to be shipped to the west to aquariasts to be sunk in fish tanks as a decoration; it would take months to die but since it only cost $0.50, it was easily replaced. My Dad has photos of them in his tanks from the 50s. By the 80s, it was completely gone from Hong Kong and rare in the trade. A few plants were rediscovered clinging to existence in HK and it’s also been found in Vietnam.

Dr. Leslie, I am shocked that you aren’t blooming this plant and would love to know your conditions. It’s extremely reliable for me and as the OP says, it blooms every year, without fail, on each new growth. I have 4 of them in bloom or opening right now; not bragging! But I’ve been reading your stuff for a long time and I know you’re 1000 times the grower I am so I’d love to see what’s going on and get you flowers going!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Aww it’s my favorite species! It’s VERY special! Dr. Koopowitz chronicles its tragic story of destruction in PLANT EXTINCTION: A GLOBAL CRISIS; it existed in the millions in what is now Hong Kong but from the 1950s-60s was plowed under for development as well as being ripped out, in bloom, to be shipped to the west to aquariasts to be sunk in fish tanks as a decoration; it would take months to die but since it only cost $0.50, it was easily replaced. My Dad has photos of them in his tanks from the 50s. By the 80s, it was completely gone from Hong Kong and rare in the trade. A few plants were rediscovered clinging to existence in HK and it’s also been found in Vietnam.

Dr. Leslie, I am shocked that you aren’t blooming this plant and would love to know your conditions. It’s extremely reliable for me and as the OP says, it blooms every year, without fail, on each new growth. I have 4 of them in bloom or opening right now; not bragging! But I’ve been reading your stuff for a long time and I know you’re 1000 times the grower I am so I’d love to see what’s going on and get you flowers going!

Thanks Brucher for the compliment ... but I am as human as the next guy lol.

My purpuratums are under lights with cool winter nights of 15-16C, hot summers, watered regularly all year, slightly dryer in winter. They are all multigrowths (2-4 new growths on each) and have normally bloomed in the late fall. This year they are late and I'm just wondering if they are maturing new growths slower. The new growths are bigger than the previous growths already. Maybe they are just not stressed enough to bloom lol.

I give them another month, then I will have to remind them of their duties by threatening them that they may have to be sent to obedience school!

Here are the renegades: