sophronitella violacea

[cnycharles]

was again surprised to see that my sophronitella violacea was in bud. I hadn't watered things in a few days and saw the purple tips sticking out so gave it a quick soak in some fertilizer water. flower opened up nicely, but it has a damaged dorsal sepal. does anyone know if s. violacea can have consecutive flowers on a spike, or are they single only?

whole plant

side view

closeup (sepal is damaged a little)

I've always liked s. violacea but hadn't had much luck before. Jim Rice took one back that I had purchased (I gave it back so that it wouldn't die), and set it amidst the roots of a big schomburgkia they had in the 'warm' house. It lived and thrived there for years. I think it likes to get moist but then dry (it's in hard tree fern and seems to like being able to dry out between waterings) and have decent humidity/air movement rather than wet all the time. the humidity in amongst all of those roots was just about perfect for it

 

[smartie2000]

Pretty colour. looks like mine might now bloom this year. Mine only gave a single bloom and was not as deep in colour

 

[NYEric]

I killed the ones I tried. Thanx for posting.

 

[SlipperFan]

Great color. Sounds like a difficult one to grow.

 

[tenman]

Wonderful! Is it true the flowers are only an inch across? Second question: should you send me pollen to put on my Sophronitis coccinea now in bloom (pics to be posted tomorrow) - or the other way around - or both ways? Might be a nice cross and still a mini. I don't see a record of that cross being made.

 

[Bolero]

Great colour and interesting plant!

 

[biothanasis]

Very nice flower and colour!!! Lift the dorsal up..

 

[cnycharles]

are sophronitella and sophronitis compatible? I could send some pollen. yes, the flowers are only about an inch across if that

oh, man... I just read on wikipedia that someone put sophronitella into isabelia along with neolauchea pulchella, so now there are three isabelias. If I think of that plant as an isabelia, it's history! (i've never met an isabelia I couldn't kill...)

was reading miranda's website where they point out that sophronitellas are found over a very wide area, and that there is very little color difference between the plants other than a few rare all white ones

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

are sophronitella and sophronitis compatible? I could send some pollen. yes, the flowers are only about an inch across if that

oh, man... I just read on wikipedia that someone put sophronitella into isabelia along with neolauchea pulchella, so now there are three isabelias. If I think of that plant as an isabelia, it's history! (i've never met an isabelia I couldn't kill...)

Yes, I think they are compatible. I've not grown this species, but I have the other two Isabelias. The don't like wet feet that is for sure. Lots of air movement and drying between waterings or they're toast real quick.