# Formosanum 2016



## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 10, 2016)

My clump of C. formosanum is even better this year, up to 19 flowers on as many stems. This was bought as a single growth back in 2006.


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## Paphluvr (Apr 10, 2016)

Beautiful! The large, whorled leaves set the flowers off nicely against the foliage.
Well done.


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## PaphMadMan (Apr 10, 2016)

My favorite slipper orchid, and this perfectly demonstrates why. I wish I had the right situation to grow it.


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## eggshells (Apr 10, 2016)

That is incredible. I hope I had the right conditions also.


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## monocotman (Apr 10, 2016)

Beautiful!
David


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## NYEric (Apr 10, 2016)

Tremendous! Me so envyous!


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## abax (Apr 11, 2016)

What a lovely sight. Makes me happy just to see so
much beauty.


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## chrismende (Apr 11, 2016)

I agree with abax! There is something so fetching about these plants - little ballerinas with green tutus or something...


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## JPMC (Apr 11, 2016)

Beautiful!

I too wish that I had the right conditions to grow them.


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## Linus_Cello (Apr 11, 2016)

Lovely! Must buy some for the new house.
What is the begonia you're using as a ground cover?


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 11, 2016)

It is a beautiful plant and honestly I do nothing to help it along. Interestingly, the native C. japonicum just hangs on. As for other Cyps, they all struggle for me, so this is my sole triumph in that genus. Summers here are truly subtropical, similar to Atlanta or Charleston, and virtually all Cyps hate that. Even C. kentuckiense thrives for a time, then has trouble. If I could grow in the mountains then more would make it.



Linus_Cello said:


> What is the begonia you're using as a ground cover?



That is a Saxifraga, S. stolonifera, the "strawberry variety" with pink flowers and purple leaves. It is a weed! (but a pretty one)


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## Linus_Cello (Apr 11, 2016)

What about hybrids with C. Kentuckiensis? Like Lucy Pinkepank? Or Giselle?

Ahh yes saxifraga.


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## emydura (Apr 11, 2016)

Just stunning Tom. I'm stopped from being envious when I think how much colder it would have to be in Canberra to grow these.


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## PotomacV (Apr 11, 2016)

Wow! So beautiful!


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## paphioboy (Apr 12, 2016)

Wow!! :clap::clap::clap:


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## Clark (Apr 12, 2016)

Charm overload


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 15, 2016)

Linus_Cello said:


> What about hybrids with C. Kentuckiensis? Like Lucy Pinkepank? Or Giselle?



Cyps in general are on the edge, or really over the edge, here. The summer is impossibly hot for most. I have Victoria (pubescens x fasciolatum) and Philipp (macranthos x kentuckiense) at the moment. They grow, but do not flourish. I've also grown and flowered Gisela (macranthos x parviflorum), Sabine (fasciolatum x macranthos), and Aki (pubescens x macranthos), but eventually I lost all of those. It is frustrating, but not surprising.


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## Ozpaph (Apr 15, 2016)

really beautiful - congratulations.


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## SlipperKing (Apr 15, 2016)

What beauty


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## Linus_Cello (Apr 15, 2016)

KyushuCalanthe said:


> Cyps in general are on the edge, or really over the edge, here. The summer is impossibly hot for most. I have Victoria (pubescens x fasciolatum) and Philipp (macranthos x kentuckiense) at the moment. They grow, but do not flourish. I've also grown and flowered Gisela (macranthos x parviflorum), Sabine (fasciolatum x macranthos), and Aki (pubescens x macranthos), but eventually I lost all of those. It is frustrating, but not surprising.



You are growing these in the ground?
Have you tried "zeer pot" or some evaporative cooling method?


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 15, 2016)

Linus_Cello said:


> You are growing these in the ground?
> Have you tried "zeer pot" or some evaporative cooling method?



I tried both with equal results. If you go to my blog you can see articles of how I did it, plus I made a video of a "double pot" method for Cyps. Still too damned hot here for Cyps.


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## Marco (Apr 16, 2016)

beautiful!


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## Drorchid (May 27, 2016)

Wow! Amazing! Wish I could grow those here in Minnesota!


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## roy bailey (Jun 4, 2016)

That's amazing love that that swirl in the leaf. I bought one last autumn but it didn't produce a shoot. Discovered it isn't dead today so I will keep fingers crossed for next year.


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