Platanthera ciliaris 'Speed Demon' 2021

[tnyr5]

Deflasked this in early 2019, this is the second bloom.

 

[PeteM]

Wow, first time for me seeing this species. Thanks for sharing. What does the whole plant look like? I can look it up, I’m impressed with the flower to leaf ratio.. which is like 10 to 1. love the color too.

 

[Guldal]

Wow, first time for me seeing this species. What does the whole plant look like?

Hear, hear, on both accounts!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Looks like an orange squid shoal! Love it!!

Any culture tip and source? I assume it’s a terrestrial like Habenaria?

 

[tnyr5]

Here's a pic of the whole plant in a way-too-small 4in pot. This is still a baby plant. It will eventually reach hip height with 60 to 80 flowers.

I'm still tinkering with how best to grow these indoors.
Some things I've found:
- The basic gist of their culture is "Disa that needs a freezing cold winter chill." Constant moisture, cool to cold roots 24/7, as bright of light as you can give it, and water TDS less than 20ppm at all times, preferably less than 10ppm. I water them every single day.
- They are susceptible to the same fast-moving black root rot as Disas, especially if the root tips get damaged, which is easy to do. Cleary's seems to help, as does meticulous cleanliness (spraying down the floor, walls, water buckets, etc. regularly with Physan, for example.)
- Small and even medium pots really don't work. This will be the last time I put one in anything less than 6in x 6in. Instead of a tuber, they make a vertical, carrot-like tap root up to 12in long, surrounded by 3 to 6 horizontal roots that stretch for several inches in every direction. None of these roots like to bump into anything. I think the best way is to put 3 or 4 plants in a 10in pot and be content.
- If you live where they can grow outdoors and can make a bog garden, they should be easier. Unfortunately for Leslie, Canada is not one of those places ☹.

 

[NYEric]

Nice. I tried to get some from a listed source but he denied me. Luckily, I see them on eBay sometimes. What media do you have them in? Thanks for sharing.

 

[tnyr5]

Haven't settled on a medium yet, everything from pure live Sphagnum to almost 100% perlite with a touch of play sand and organics thrown in.
Here's hoping all the hybrids I made are easier to grow lol.

 

[Ozpaph]

That's orange.

 

[tnyr5]

Oops, checked my records, this was deflasked in 2020, not 2019. These past 14 months have been a bit of a blur lol.