Embreea rodigasiana

Huge flowers, mysterious heavy scent reminiscent of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, dramatic color and structure of the blooms and a very close relative of stanhopea’s - this is embreea rodigasiana.

Until 1980’s it was part of stanhopea’s range and then been re-classified in the specie of it’s own.

This one is not an easy orchid to bring to flower - it demands huge amount of water during it’s growing cycle and strongly dislike change of temperature, making it really difficult during our winter time to look after it properly. If it’s growing requirements not met completely  it just refusing to flower - a lot to do with it’s natural habitat of hot, misty, clouded forests of  Colombia and Ecuador.

I am forever learning with this one, trying to find the best conditions for it’s growing and blooming cycle, don’t mind the challenge because the rewards are huge - seeing this dramatic looking orchid in bloom and smelling it’s mysterious scent I can more appreciate Nature for creating such beauty.

Embreea rodigasiana 1

Emreea rodigasiana 2

Embreea rodigasiana 3

Stanhopea tricornis orchid

This beautiful and rare stanhopea orchid just finished it’s flowering season with me and it’s stanhopea tricornis - rare and unusual form. It’s one of the oldest documented species - the first description of it appeared in 1849 by Lindley from the plant discovered in Peru by famous orchid collector Joseph Warscewicz who worked for Skinner in England at that time.

There appears to be a few color variations of this specie and I’ve seen pristine white blooms of stanhopea tricornis as well as creamy color and some like mine with yellow markings on the end of the petals. It’s native to the Western slopes of the Andes in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia in very warm and very humid forests which probably gives a clue to it’s successful flowering.

The plant itself is of medium size with slender leaves and elongated bulbs and the scent is very forceful strong with many herbal tones. With me in our climate it seems to flower every other season, showing off it’s unusual and rare flowers and a glimpse of this beauty created by Nature.

Stanhopea tricornis

Late flowering stanhopea orchids

Beautiful blooms later in the season

Stanhopea embreei x wardii

Stanhopea Gary Baker

Stanhopea tigrina

Stanhopea oculata x jenischiana

Stanhopea oculata x jenischiana1

Stanhopea oculata x jenischiana 2

Stanhopea oculata x jenischiana 3

Here is an introduction to a beautiful new stanhopea cross of oculata x  jenischiana. It have very colorful blooms of deep rich yellow with many many dark burgundy colored spots all over the flowers.

I’ve had this stanhopea’s seedling for a while, patiently waiting for it to mature and to finally show it’s beauty - because of an outstanding parentage it promised to be a spectacular cross, but of course one does know until it flowers and this one did not disappoint.

The plant is of medium size, yet the flowers are large and showy, it sends out a number of flower spikes during it’s growing season and the blooms have very sweet, fruity scent that resembles cherry/ black currants/apricots - an absolute delight!
Another beautiful stanhopea orchid for my ever growing collection.

Stanhopea Tigrina x Assidensis

Stanhopea Tigrina x Assidensis1

 

Stanhopea Tigrina x Assidensis2

 

 

This beauty have an abundance of flowers and the scent is very strong and pleasing - it's everything every stanhopea grower and collector wants to see. It have multitude of sculptured blooms, heavenly scent, strong hardy and vigorous growth, plant not shy at all sending many flower spikes during it's growing season. My stanhopea's Tigrina x Assidensis frequently flower couple of times every season.

Technically, of course, it's 2nd generation cross since stanhopea Assidensis is a hybrid between tigrina and wardii and in this orchid it seems to be able to show it's fine qualities to the full. Standing next to this stanhopea when it's in bloom an experience not easily forgotten when one enveloped with strong, penetrating vanilla and marshmallow perfume.

Stanhopea embreei x graveolens

Stanhopea embreei x graveolens1

Stanhopea embreei x graveolens 2

Our new stanhopea flowering season already started here and I am looking forward again being surrounded by beautiful and exotic creations of Nature. Hopefully, I will be able to feature and share some of my flowering beauties again in this blog.

The first one to flower in my collection this handsome cross  of stanhopea embreei x stanhopea graveolens. It came to me as small unflowered seedling couple of years ago and I've been waiting for a while to see it's blooms.

It's a strong, robust plant, strong grower that develops many leaves and bulbs during it's growing season, establishing quickly and the flowers are very nice and perfectly sculptured.
From graveolens parent it inherited deep yellow tones and from embreei many purple dots on the petals, distinct eyes and really strong fruity and spicy scent - really nice combination.

It's always great to welcome new variety of stanhopea to own collection and to love and admire and to reflect on the beauty of these orchids.

Stanhopea Hidden Agenda

Stanhopea Hidden Agenda1

 

Stanhopea Hidden Agenda2

 

 

This beautiful orchid just finished it's flowering season and it's stanhopea Hidden Agenda - rather special and interesting cross of stanhopea insignis and stanhopea posadae. it was registered in 2004 by D Pulley of California and it's extraordinary, unusual looking stanhopea.

I've been patiently waiting to see it bloom for a while and this season it decided to flower, it did not disappoint - bold, mysterious, unique, dramatic - hybrid created with huge respect to both parents by one of the leading orchid's experts. One can see an intelligently planned design in this cross with tremendous affection for stanhopea's.

 The plant is of medium size and the blooms of bright yellow with many burgundy color markings. The scent is just as mysterious as the flowers -   strong, heady with many layers of spices and herbs - sharp and penetrating. 

Hidden Agenda is a special stanhopea that will be much welcomed by any collector and grower of these beautiful orchids.

Stanhopea nigroviolacea x self

Stanhopea nigroviolacea x self 1

Stanhopea nigroviolacea x self 2

We are currently in the middle of our summer and many of my stanhopea's blooming at the moment. Our hot and humid temperamental weather seems to bring strong and vivid colors of my stanhopea's and major task right now is to keep them well watered.  And of course, to enjoy their fabulous blooms and scents.

This nigroviolacea x self just finished it's flowering showing off it's huge, majestic flowers and heady, strong vanilla/chocolate perfume. Technically, of course it's stanhopea tigrina var nigroviolacea and this clone displaying clear, strong, brilliant colors enjoyed by everyone.

Stanhopea's in blooms at the moment

stanhopea x fowlieana

stanhopea tigrina Glory of Mexico

stanhopea Jack Quigley

Here we are in the middle of stanhopea's flowering time and many of my orchids are displaying splendid blooms again.

It's a pleasure to see lovely perfectly formed flowers and spikes and to re-connect with majestic multi-layered scents created by Mother Nature. The ultimate goal would be to able to capture this "Perfume of the Gods" so that one could smell it at any time one needs a pick me up, but of course that would be encroaching on "time" and for everything under the sun there is an appropriate "time".

So, like every stanhopea grower I have to satisfy myself with short-lived flowers and short-lived stanhopea scents - and marvel at the nature for creating such beauty. Many times during the day I visit my greenhouse just to be able to immerse myself in heavenly exotic perfume. I love how these beautiful orchids play on unsuspected grower - if one stay with them for a few minutes they will release first base notes of the scents which are usually forceful and strong, but if one spends a little bit of more time near them - then the whole kaleidoscope of secondary perfumes start revealing itself - completely different yet so complementary that comes in waves.
It's like composing a colorful palette where every color and scent  paints a beautiful signature and picture with the senses.

Stanhopea shuttleworthii - light clone Libano area

Stanhopea shuttleworthii - Libano 1 light clone

Stanhopea shuttleworthii - Libano light clone 2

Our stanhopea flowering season here already started and at the moment I have many blooming plants which I hope to feature in this blog soon.

One of the first ones to flower was stanhopea shuttleworthii, unusual and interesting light colored clone native only to a small area of Libano in Colombia - the whole blooms of the lighter pastel colors with very nice strong herbal and spicy scent. I purchased this orchid a few years ago and been waiting patiently for it to bloom and this season it's first flowering time - it did not disappointed - large, perfectly sculptured blooms with heavenly scent - another great addition to my stanhopea range.