# What do you look for in an orchid? (Please help me with my research!)



## orchidelirium (May 31, 2012)

Hi everybody,

As mentioned in my introduction thread, I am currently doing some research on the demand side of the slipper orchid industry. I am trying to design some experiments but need to get to know the market a bit more before I do, and need a bit of guidance from the people in the know (i.e. you guys!) about the attributes that are most important when selecting a new orchid for your collection.

I would be very grateful if you could post a few lines below to let me know what is most important to you when you are making a decision about what to buy. There may be lots of different factors involved so if it helps explain, maybe you could tell me the last orchid that you added to your collection and what made you buy it in particular over any other orchid out there for sale? There are no wrong answers, I am just looking for a small forum-based focus group.

Thank you in advance, if anybody has any questions please let me know. I will keep you updated on my research and what I find out and some of you may see me at orchid shows in the near future asking similar questions!

Thanks,
Amy


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## Shiva (May 31, 2012)

Welcome to the forum Amy.

My answer is good quality plants, free of or resistant to disease, easy to grow and flower. Flowers should have good form and color and last at least two weeks on the stem.


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## Dido (May 31, 2012)

I looking for easy one which I can grow inside of my house, 
because I have no special place for them. 
Or I am like to keep them outside and then they need to survive the winter


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## slippertalker (May 31, 2012)

I would say impulse, following hybridizing trends including selective sib crosses of species, and most importantly plants that work for my growing conditions.


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## nikv (May 31, 2012)

I look for plants that can thrive in the conditions which I can provide them. And nice flowers and foliage, too!


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## eggshells (May 31, 2012)

If I have a chance to select a slipper orchid. I always go for multigrowth plants. However since most of the time I order using the internet. I always get small seedlings.


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## Rick (May 31, 2012)

I'm a species grower, so primarily looking for species that I don't have or would compliment my breeding programs.

I tend to buy most of my plants "site unseen", but mostly work with several growers that have been around a long time and trust in their judgement on plant quality.


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## NYEric (May 31, 2012)

Interesting.

When I buy paphs it is good to see photos or to examine the plants. All qualities being similar, I usually choose the plant with the most growths and the largest leaves. My buying habits are to try to get "different"/uncommon species and hybrids, hard to get, album, etc. Although there are those here who think otherwise, my budget only allows me to get a few plants so I would by one of each of different plants than spend the money on select or multigrowth plants. For Phrags, I collect besseae hybrids and would try to one of each. Hope this helps.


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## paphreek (May 31, 2012)

When it comes to Paphs, I look for award quality divisions or interesting crosses using good parents. For other genera, I look for easy growing and blooming plants whose flowers either have dramatic colors or unusual shapes. Being that my wife also collects orchids, we have a dizzyingly wide range of genera. I collect Paphs, Lycaste, Miltoniopsis, and Restrepias, while Juliecollect most of the Bulbophyllums, Phaleanopsis, Vandas, Masdevallias, and assorted other Pleurothalids. What attacts both Julie and I to orchids is their incredible diversity in size, shape and color. Oops, forgot to mention Habenarias!


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## SlipperFan (May 31, 2012)

I started with one slipper given to me by a friend, and now I have over 500 orchids in many different genera, in a newly built greenhouse dedicated to orchids. I've been getting more and more interested in species, but at least half of my collection is hybrids. And over half of my collection are slippers.

Sometimes I look for a specific plant to buy, but most of the time something at an orchid show or at the commercial orchid greenhouse where I volunteer, some orchid will trip me or otherwise reach out and demand I take it home.

You think I'm kidding???


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## goods (May 31, 2012)

I, too, am a species grower, but I tend to go for the "weird" stuff. I've found through the years that my species interest may change, but the group I change to still fills a similar niche in a different part of the world. I collect mainly Angraecoids, PNG Bulbphyllums, Dendrobiums and relatives, and Pleurothallids. 

I also try to "stretch" my growing conditions. Living in South Louisiana, it would make sense to grow warm to hot growers. My ultimate goal is to eventually successfully grow and bloom species like Phrag. besseae, Masd. ignea, Dendrobium subuliferum and Masd. coccinea. These are all currently growing well for me. I'm also having a large amount of success with about 8 different Lepanthes species.


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## JeanLux (May 31, 2012)

I was in love with 'orchid flowers' ( = large cut cattleya blooms that I could sometimes see in garden centers ) since my youth!
When I finally started to buy orchid plants some 25 years ago, I tried a lot of genera and species that I could not grow. I told me at that time that I would surely never ever buy some of those 'plastic' slippers ! But then, years later, I found I could no more resist buying one of those beautiful but at that time rather expensive red phrags, besseae was the name ! And then a first niveum, and then a first bellatulum and then one armeniacum, and then I was full in slippers besides my other genera!

Today I see that I can not grow everything that is nice and colorful, and I try to resize my collection to smaller growing plants (such as catts intermedia and brachies and.......)

Jean


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## abax (Jun 1, 2012)

*I try to buy orchids that fit my growing conditions*

in my greenhouse which is in shade in summer and sun in
winter. I'm attracted to Paphs. and species Phals. because
they grow well for me. The subtle colors and rather suggestive shape of most Paphs. is both amusing and
attractive...also a bit of a challenge to bloom.


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## Stone (Jun 1, 2012)

Hi Amy. Firstly you must remember that collectors (of anything) tend to be a bunch of.....Hmmm......how can I put this delicately?..well a touch obsessive individuals. Orchid collectors more so, and paph growers the worst of the lot:evil: I have often wondered myself why. When I first started with orchids any species which took my fancy I would buy. But now with paphs I have totally become one of the above! Others who have been growing them for years have become more discerning but I'm (and I guess many others) are at the ''if it's a paph, then I will buy it'' stage:drool: I think it might have something to do with their delicate nature and the challenge of growing them well.
Most people don't even consider if they have the right conditions (at least I don't)...buy first -worry later.

Mike


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## orchidelirium (Jun 1, 2012)

Thank you so much to everybody for the great responses so far, and the pictures of the Habenarias! 

This is really interesting, for some reason I did not have 'ease of growing' on my list but this is something I definitely need to add! So far I have been focussing mainly on flower appearance (colour, shape, size etc) but this does not seem to be at the top of the list for most people, although maybe it is still quite important?

Very grateful for all of the help, if anybody else hasn't replied yet please keep them coming!


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## TyroneGenade (Jun 1, 2012)

orchidelirium said:


> Hi everybody,
> what made you buy it in particular over any other orchid out there for sale?



Paph. Silverlight: it was in bud and it was cheap. I did a quick search on the parentage and I liked the look of Silvara and I thought the primulinum influence would make it interesting.

Paph. hangianum x Mystic Isle. I am intrigued by the hangianum species and hybrids. They seem to impart size in the crosses as well as interesting patterning. The Mystic Isle has nice patterning and is mostly godefroyae and niveum so the outcome would be interesting. The plant I took was a double growth (2 leads) and it was cheap (R150, $18). I think this plant could be interesting for further breeding.

Paph. Pyramus. I like complex Paphs and I have fondness for the older crosses. I has been a good breeder in the past (in fact it is probably the great-great-great-great...-grand-daddy in most of modern complexes) and I thought it could be a good guinea pig for my crossing experiments.

Paph. King Arthur "Lensings". Again, its an old complex with nice red color which I figure would be nice for experiments.

Both of the latter, I suppose, satisfy that human psychopathology to protect things for aesthetic reasons even though they are not worth protecting (like old buildings which are just a waste of space). Again, these were quite cheap: $18 each.

My wife got me a Paph Hamana Spice and Paph Hsinying Rainbow. The selection criteria were plants which were colorful (I like color) and no big pouches (so you will never find a micracanthum or malipoense in my collection. I guess my choices are driven largely by aesthetics. As aesthetics preferences are hard to define (we like it when we see it and all that...) it may be better to ask people to define what they don't like in an orchid.

My dislikes: difficult growers, ugly plants with tangled floppy canes, bad scent, disproportionate flowers, miserly bloomers.

Other plants I grow and will endeavor to keep growing at my Tolumnia and Oncidiums; some Neofinetia and indigenous orchids. I have a few Catts about but they are compact growers and they have to be tough---I kill Catts. I was briefly infatuated with Cyms last year but that is passing: too big.

Hope that helps.


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## fibre (Jun 1, 2012)

I like plants and I like it extraordinary, so I'm collecting Orchids. 
And Paphs are the most extraordinary Orchids . 
But my bench space is limited so I 'm looking for some extraordinary Paphs. 

Here I love the whites and the greens and the smaller ones, bulldogs as much as species. 

I'm selecting for good qualities to use them as parents because I like to create something new. These qualitys are flowerquality as there is shape, colour, pattern and stem (size doesn't matter for me, but this is very unique) and plant quality like vigorous growing, fast clumbing, leave pattern, short leaves, easy and free flowering.


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## biothanasis (Jun 2, 2012)

What I firtsly look at a plant is its appeal to me. Second comes the price. If these two critiria are not met then I usually do not buy it. If these two are met then comes health of the plant, age of the flowers (the younger the better) and size. I always weigh the ratio quality-quantity / price. Last but not least, I evaluate the plants' demands and whether I can provide them. If not, although in the past I would try, nowadays, I do not purchase those I cannot grow...! However, sometimes I give me a second chance...! 

I am mainly into species and rarely hybrids, because I like natural forms much better than most of the hybrids. Phalaenopsis, dendrobium and perhaps paphiopedilum is what I grow best, but I get afew now and then from other genera to try. 

All the above is done provided that my budget allows me to. BUT if something comes up to my attention and I really want it, I will cut from something else so to get money and purchase it. That is what an addiction-hobby is about...  heheheh...!

Good luck with your research!!!!!


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## The Mutant (Jun 3, 2012)

I'm fairly new as an orchid obsessed person (a.k.a. "collector"), but what I look at are:

1) Do I find it appealing (in regards to Paphs I prefer the mottled leafed ones, but I have to be able to stand the flowers too, which is why I avoid the Parvisepalum and the Brachypetalum subgenera)?

2) Can I grow it (I'm a windowsill grower which limits my options somewhat)?

These two questions have led to my small collection consisting of mostly Phalaenopsis (both species, hybrids and primary hybrids) and some Paphiopedilum (mostly species from the Sigmatopetalum subgenus since I love those mottled leaves). I want more Paphs, but at the moment my wallet and my lack of space says no.


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## koshki (Jun 4, 2012)

The only slipper orchids I grow are phragmapediums (I'm not counting the cyps in the garden). The first hurdle would be color and shape...I have a certain "color wheel" that I like. Secondly is the space consideration (I grow indoors under lights). If a plant is large, I have to really LOVE it to make room. But even for smaller plants, space is an issue. I am out of room on the phrag shelf, so I have to want the new plant more than what I have. In some cases I make room by parting with something else. Other times it goes on the "overflow" table where it may fall victim to cat chewing. Assuming the above is a go, then I look for a healthy plant at a fair price. And then do I have the money at the moment?



SlipperFan said:


> ...but most of the time... some orchid will trip me or otherwise reach out and demand I take it home.
> 
> You think I'm kidding???



But of course most of this flies out the window when the above happens.

I'm not kidding either!


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## Amadeus (Jun 5, 2012)

Exclusivity/rarity - I want to have something few others have
Never before bloomed - I like the excitement of not knowing what the flower will look like


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## quiltergal (Jun 18, 2012)

#1 size I grow indoors under lights and have limited shelf space.
#2 pretty foliage. Since they are out of bloom longer than they are in bloom nice looking foliage helps me wait for the next bloom cycle.
#3 duration of bloom. If it only lasts for a week for me that is too much time and effort for very little payback. Paph. liemianum and Pinocchio are my dream plants....never out of bloom.
#4 flower appeal. Oddly this is last on my list of criteria. As one with limited space if it meets all of the above criteria I have to at the very least like the flower. It's better if I love the flower. :wink: I only have two bulldog Paphs. because I'm not really a big fan. The two I have meet all of the above criteria and are different from the rest of my collection thus adding interest.
#5 in the future I will be looking for species because I really like them.


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