Essence of Stanhopea: Stanhopea Wardii

Showing posts with label Stanhopea Wardii. Show all posts

Friday, February 15, 2008

Stanhopea Wardii

Another of my Stanhopea’s flowering at the moment – Stanhopea Wardii. This variety been around since 1838 since its discovery in Colombian forests and remains popular with Stanhopea collectors all over the world for its beautiful yellow/orange vanilla scented flowers. This variety producing medium-sizes flowers but more than compensate for it with its reliability and yearly abundance of flowers. I repotted this stanhopea in early spring and once it’s established in its planter, it’s started sending flower spikes. It sent 3 x flower spikes from the sides of the planter with 5 flowers on each spike. Stanhopea Wardii is mid-season flowering variety here in Sydney and my personal “old favorite”.

If you’ve tried growing everything from Aspidistras to Zinnias and you haven’t tried Stanhopea Orchids, you don’t know what you’re missing. They are easier to grow than African Violets and far more majestic than any other plant. The variety available boggles the mind …

Be warn, though, ever since their discovery by English explorers to Europe in the 18th Century they have caused a “ Stanhopea mania” that continues to this day.

My own first Stanhopea orchid was Stanhopea Tigrina though I didn’t know it. Friend gave it to me as a birthday present – a trip to the library for some orchid’s books was quickly followed by the purchase of some more of these exotic, majestic, beautiful orchids and as they say – the fever had struck.

My fascination with orchids led to great friendships, lots and lots of reading, trips to exotic places (sometimes only through books) and the joy and frustration of growing the world’s most fabulous plants.