Today was the October OS meeting. I came home with some amazing and hard-to-find plants on my most wanted list. I also captured some great slipper orchid pics at the show, which I'll post in the near future. Today I acquired:
Paph Ho Chi Minh (delenatii x vietnamense)
Paph delenatii
Phrag Hanne Popow (besseae x schlimii)
Phrag schlimii
Dendrobium seedling (unknown speces/cultivar)
Cypripedium reginae (my second one)
Cyp. macranthos
Paph Ho Chi Minh is a fantastic new hybrid between the famous P. delenatii and the recently discovered P. vietnamense. The huge flowers look like delenatii but have a darker lip. It retains the fragrance and compact habit of both its parents, and has caused a sensation. Mass-produced in the US, it's not easy to get one in Canada, but I got lucky. A bloom-sized seedling for $30.
Paph delenatii is the most well-known Paph species and respresents its group well. It has always been up there on my list. Large pink lip with white tepals (sepals and petals). Beautiful mottled leaves. Bloom-sized mature plant for $35.
Phrag Hanne Popow is a very popular hybrid beween the two most colorful Phrag species. Because both its parents are miniatures, it's a compact plant. It has the shape of besseae with the color of schlimii (light rosy-pink with yellow staminode). A sequential bloomer, it produces up to 10 flowers on a spike. A blooming plant for $25.
Phrag schlimii is a collector's item. It's hard to find and worthwhile, for its delightful rosy-pink flowers with a yellow staminode. Its round shape is reminiscent of our native Cyps. What's more, is it's a full miniature, less than half the size of a caudatum-group Phrag or a (caudatum x besseae) type hybrid. For the most part it grows the same as besseae but likes a fairly coarse medium for Phrags. An in-spike plant for $20 (though fairly small).
Cyp reginae is my favorite Cyp, with its large fuschia lip and white tepals. It forms large, bushy clumps over time. An awesome garden plant. Bloom-sized plants usually are expensive, but my big BS divison (4 growths) was only $25.
Cyp macranthos is a must-have Cyp. An Asian species with large red or pink flowers. Its compact habit makes it great for front-border or rock gardens. Large BS divison (5 growths) for $25.
Last month I had the pleasure of viewing a fantstic specimen of longifolium var. gracile; this time around I spotted a 4' longifolium! These flowers were about 6" across (at least). It had 2 spikes open at once.
