# Paph Vanda M. Pearman



## emydura (Feb 8, 2019)

First time I have flowered it with two spikes. In the Paphiopedilum issue of the Orchid Digest (2018), Harold Koopowitz wrote: "Paph Iona and Vanda M. Pearman are examples of short-lived grexes that are highly awarded but don't survive more than some half dozen years". I have been growing this plant for almost 20 years, so I must have a survivor. 


Paph delenatii 'Pink Spring' x bellatulum alba 'Moonlight'


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## CarlG (Feb 8, 2019)

That's really nice. Congratulations on longevity.


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## Ozpaph (Feb 8, 2019)

it really is one of my favourites. Yours in beautiful.
Bloody Koopowitz; my large plant got 'the rot' a fortnight ago....................


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## troy (Feb 8, 2019)

Thats a keeper, nice display. The plant I had was huge, 18 inch leafspan 3 fans, wouldn't bloom, sold it


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## gego (Feb 8, 2019)

Well done.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## P.K.Hansen (Feb 9, 2019)

Beautiful. How large are they? I've been considering one for a while.


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## Happypaphy7 (Feb 9, 2019)

Even what experts say isn't always true. 
They can only speak for what they have seen, and I doubt it is from quite limited examples and thus, most likely be a bit too general of an opinion to say that this is necessarily a short lived hybrid. 

I tried a couple of this hybrid and a smiliar. All were a few years out of flask and no signs of declining. Actually quite the opposite. It would grow into big specimen.


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## orchid527 (Feb 9, 2019)

Nice flower. Perhaps they are difficult to keep alive and the reason for your success is that you are a good grower!! Mike


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## emydura (Feb 9, 2019)

P.K.Hansen said:


> Beautiful. How large are they? I've been considering one for a while.



Mine is a little smaller than Troy's but not much. The growths are 16 inches (42 cm) across. The leaves are broad too. They look absolutely beautiful actually. In the last few years they have really increased in size. 



orchid527 said:


> Nice flower. Perhaps they are difficult to keep alive and the reason for your success is that you are a good grower!! Mike





Happypaphy7 said:


> Even what experts say isn't always true.
> They can only speak for what they have seen, and I doubt it is from quite limited examples and thus, most likely be a bit too general of an opinion to say that this is necessarily a short lived hybrid.
> 
> I tried a couple of this hybrid and a smiliar. All were a few years out of flask and no signs of declining. Actually quite the opposite. It would grow into big specimen.



I agree with you. My comment was a bit tongue in cheek. Harold Koopowitz does have a tendency to make these strange generalisations. For example, in his book with Hasegawa (1989) he wrote of Mt Toro - "In our hands this has proved to be the most difficult of the plants described in this section (multi-florals) to grow and maintain. The several plants in our collection are poor growers and are very susceptible to various rots which hardly trouble either of their parents or any of the other hybrids". 

Weirdly, in the same book he says of Vanda M. Pearman - "VPM is a cast-iron plant with a strong constitution. It is an ideal hobbyist plant and is strongly recommended for both the beginner and the more advanced connoisseur". So thirty years later, he has a completely different view. My experience is the latter. It seems pretty robust to me. 



Ozpaph said:


> it really is one of my favourites. Yours in beautiful.
> Bloody Koopowitz; my large plant got 'the rot' a fortnight ago....................



That is no good. Did you lose it? Rot can be a problem in general for me, but this plant has remained unscathed so far.


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## Happypaphy7 (Feb 10, 2019)

My Last VMP was very big. One leaf was well over 20cm long! 
and it just kept on growing more leaves and adding new growths without every flowering! 

All others and similar (delenatii x brachy) were much smaller, yet good growers with the exception of a couple that did nothing for a long time.

Regarding the leaves, yes. Your plant is beautiful!! 
My big one had such nice leaves also. I would have kept it if it weren't so big. 
Others I had did not have such nice leaves. They were either too pale (had no idea why) hence not enough of clarity to contrast the green and silver on the leaves or the patterns were just very oddly formed.

Nice photos as usualy, by the way!!


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## blondie (Feb 11, 2019)

Wow


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## emydura (Feb 12, 2019)

Happypaphy7 said:


> My Last VMP was very big. One leaf was well over 20cm long!
> and it just kept on growing more leaves and adding new growths without every flowering!
> 
> All others and similar (delenatii x brachy) were much smaller, yet good growers with the exception of a couple that did nothing for a long time.
> ...



Your leaves are a similar size to mine. It is amazing how big they get. They are way larger than I would ever get for each parent.


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## JeanLux (Feb 14, 2019)

Just Beautiful David !!!! Jean


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## Don I (Feb 22, 2019)

Excellent.
Don


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