If you haven't grown Stanhopea orchids, you are missing one of nature's finest offerings. And, if you haven't gotten to know Stanhopea orchid growers, you are missing out on a very special and fine group of people...
Showing posts with label stanhopea graveolens var aurata. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stanhopea graveolens var aurata. Show all posts
Here are we are right in the middle of our stanhopea’s flowering season now and all of my plants displaying their much awaited flamboyant blooms. The greenhouse filled with unmistaken scent of these special orchids and Nature continue to delight me with beauty of these exclusive blooms.
This summer been very difficult for the whole country with bushfires and so much loss on so many levels that its difficult to comprehend the scale of distraction but here we are witnessing the strong sense of community and the Australian spirit of 'never giving up' in the face of such devastation and adversity.
Some more pictures of my flowering stanhopea's. It appears that our hot weather now is behind us which means that the flowers on my stanhopea's staying open a lot longer. During our hot weather they were open only for a couple of days but now I can enjoy them for about a week and appreciate their delicate blooms longer.
Here is an introduction to one of the stanhopea’s in my collection – stanhopea graveolens var aurata. It’s one of the oldest recorded graveolens’s varieties, discovered in 1850’s in Guatemala and unfortunately, not many plants of this variety currently in cultivation.
What’s interesting about this variety is that flowers change colors as they mature – when flower unfolds, the color is while/ pale yellow with dark yellow centre and a few spots, but as the flower gets older, in a couple of days, it changes into deep dark, rich apricot hue. The scent is very strong and spicy, rather complicated, with many pungent undertones of clove, cinnamon, and all spice. The flowers appear delicate and light, but actually quite tough and waxy.
It’s one of the rare varieties in the stanhopea world and a beautiful and special orchid to have and to admire.
