Stanhopea deltoidea - very rare beauty!

 Here is one of the rarest Stanhopea species - Stanhopea deltoidea. It flowered early this morning and I am delighted to see this stanhopea in flower. I’ve been waiting for quite a while to see this Stanhopea orchid blooming and this season it decided to reveal it’s beauty.

Stanhopea deltoidea 1

Stanhopea deltoidea 2

Because of it’s extreme rarity not much information available about this specie - we know that it was first named by Lemaire back in 1862 from the plant imported by Riedel from Peru, and that there is a drawing by Pastorelli showing in detail this beautiful orchid.

The plant and the flower is of the medium size and the blooms heavily spotted with burgundy colored blotches with yellow middle. The scent is very interesting - it’s very “fresh” smelling blooms with the background of grassy, herbal undertones. There is a bit of sweetness in the scent, but it's not strong or overpowering. Overall, very “clean” , refreshing, invigorating kind of scent.

It’s a beautiful, very rare special stanhopea for anyone who appreciates these orchids and I am thrilled at  being able to see this remarkable  orchid  in bloom this season.

Stanhopea orchids end of season flowering

Our stanhopea’s flowering  season nearly over and here pictures of some of my late flowering blooming plants.
I still have a few stanhopea’s in spike, but mostly our stanhopea blooming time is finished. Our weather is very mild at the moment and most of my plants still actively growing developing new leaves and bulbs, getting ready for the next year spectacular flowering.

Stanhopea inodora x wardii aurea

 

Stanhopea inodora

Stanhopea insignis

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

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 oculata var ruckeri

Stanhopea oculata var ruckeri1

 

 Stanhopea oculata var ruckeri2

Stanhopea oculata var ruckeri3

This special and very rare stanhopea oculata var ruckeri finished it’s flowering season - it’s a beautiful oculata variety with many interesting features.
 It’s a medium size plant with smallish size flowers and nice coloring, distinct eyes and many purple dots all over the blooms. The flowers themselves look like little birds of prey. The scent is very  herbal/spicy strong and penetrating. Another beautiful stanhopea variety that not often seen in cultivation for my collection.

Stanhopea insignis

Stanhopea insignis1

 

Stanhopea insignis2

 

This beautiful stanhopea just finished it's flowering and I always love to see this beauty in bloom. Stanhopea insignis is one of the first stanhopea orchids been discovered in 1818 and as usual it have very colorful and interesting history. In 1829 it ended in Kew Botanical Gardens  and from there on been appearing in various private collections.

To trace appearance of stanhopea insignis is like immersing oneself in stanhopea orchids history and archives - it's been described and mentioned in various publications by orchid collectors such as John Frost, William Jackson Hooker, Jenisch/Kramer of Hamburg,  Demidoff of Italy,  Hoffmannsegge of Dresden, Linden of Ghent, Loddiges of Hackney, and Sir Phillip Henry Earl of Stanhope the president of medical-botanical society in London - all of them made tremendous contribution to bringing stanhopea species to the world. Stanhopea insignis was the first stanhopea specie named.

The plant native to states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santa Caterina and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and it's habitat rather dry which gives clue to it's successful flowering.

This specie extremely variable in  colors, there are quite a few different clones about, some a pure pristine white and my plant showing white background with many purple dots all over the flower. The scent to me smells like pure cinnamon - strong, piercing, penetrating.

Stanhopea insignis ( from Latin - remarkable) beautiful stanhopea orchid to love and to admire and to reflect on it's interesting history.

Flowering stanhopea's this week

Stanhopea Bellarensis x inodora

 

Stanhopea nigroviolacea

Stanhopea inodora x wardii aurea

Our stanhopea flowering season continues with many of my new plants started it's blooming season and some old favorites showing off it's beautiful scented flowers.

Every stanhopea grower knows that each season brings something different and it's all to do with weather changes during the year. All the elements are playing their part producing this wonder of Nature so when your plants start flowering it's always an anticipation to see beautiful orchids once again.

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 graveolens x greerii

This handsome stanhopea just finished it's flowering season. It's a very interesting cross of stanhopea graveolens and stanhopea grerii. I've been patiently waiting to see this beauty in flower for a while, since it have such a great parentage.

It have perfectly sculptured flowers and a kind of luminous appearance, special and strong heady scent reminiscent of herbs and many spices - there are many layers to it's perfume that comes in waves.

It's a beautiful addition to my ever-growing stanhopea collection and I am looking forward learning with it and seeing more of it's special, majestic blooms.