# Orchid Fragrances



## NYEric (Oct 19, 2007)

Hi. There have been some posts about fragrances in orchids and I was wondering; w/ the exception of Cattleyas and Catt hybrids what people find to be the nicest [most] fragrant. 
Personally I think dendrobium kingianum (and hybrids) and maxillaria tenuifolia. Anyone else?


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## practicallyostensible (Oct 19, 2007)

Encyclia cochleata makes my entire house smell like a candy store in the early evenings.


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## goldenrose (Oct 19, 2007)

Some find zygos overpowering (how I wish that were the case with mine!)


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## NYEric (Oct 19, 2007)

zygos, yes good choice!


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## slippertalker (Oct 19, 2007)

Miltoniopsis have a very pleasant fragrance which fills the greenhouse in May through July. Oncidium ornithorynchum is very fragrant and contributes this in its progeny such as Oncidium Sharry Baby. Zygopetalums are very fragrant. Brassavola nodosa has a distinctive evening fragrance. There are many more examples.


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## Drorchid (Oct 19, 2007)

I agree, one of my favorite fragrant orchids is Oncidium Sharry Baby. Every time I smell the flowers, I just want to eat them! The flowers just smell like chocolate covered cherries! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm:drool::drool::drool:

My favorite Cattleya species, is Cattleya walkeriana, I love the citrus smell.

Other fragrant orchids that come to mind are Trichopilia fragrans. It almost smells overpowering (like Easter lilies). Coryanthes and Stanhopea's can be pretty fragrant as well (but usually an unusual indescribable fragrance). One orchid that always reminds me of some tropical beach, is Maxillaria tenuifolia. It smells like coconut sun tan lotion!, and who can't forget Neofinetia falcata, it too has a delightful fragrance.


Robert


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## goldenrose (Oct 19, 2007)

Some more good ones! Seeing miltonias don't like me, that's an easy one for me to overlook. I like Sharry Baby put the one I have you need to be a couple of feet away to pick up a fragrance.


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## likespaphs (Oct 19, 2007)

Paph malipoense, plants are suppose to range from smelling of raspberries to others smelling of pine.
i'll give another vote for Brassavola nodosa as it's one of my favorite smells.
also, Coelogyne speciosa has a very, very mild but, i think, very pleasant smell.


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## NYEric (Oct 19, 2007)

The miltoniopsis and Oncidium ornithorynchum aren't strong enough but the Onc. Sharry Baby, also a winner and very easy to get!


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## Leo Schordje (Oct 19, 2007)

For fragrance, my favorites are Cymbidium sinense, and Angraecum magdelena and its hybrid Vigulena - same smell. These perfume the house. Hands down, these are the best. 

Lycaste skinneri, Paph emersonii, Masd datura, Lycaste macrophylla all have less powerful but very pleasant fragrances.


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## Marco (Oct 19, 2007)

In descending order

1) neofinetia
2) phal. schilleriana
3) phal. violacea


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## Corbin (Oct 19, 2007)

Dont for get Phal. Bellina


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## Jorch (Oct 19, 2007)

Neofinetia and hybrids (ie, Neostylis) :drool::drool:


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Oct 19, 2007)

Brassavola cucullata!!!!! But only at night...........
Best fragrant paph? P. emersonii!!!! Eric


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## Rick Barry (Oct 19, 2007)

My current favorite is Maxillaria molitor. 

Rick


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## paphioboy (Oct 19, 2007)

the fragrance i love most is of nobile type dends... dend anosmum (although the name means otherwise..), and some of the nigrohirsute dends (dend Frosty Dawn etc).. dend leonis, although small-flowered also smells like vanilla..brassavola nodosa and Little Star smells 'spicy' at night.. phal cornu-cervi has a refreshing slightly sour smell in the mornings.. phaius tankervilliae is fragrant too...


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## MoreWater (Oct 20, 2007)

NYEric said:


> Personally I think dendrobium kingianum (and hybrids) and maxillaria tenuifolia. Anyone else?



Never thought I'd have to admit to agreeing with Eric (on the kingianum) but that's okay because I adamantly disagree on the Max (reminds me of hair products).

Another fave is Den pachyphyllum - smells divine... when it blooms.... I almost lost the plant, but it's now putting out a few new leads so hopefully they'll mature and bloom soon.


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## NYEric (Oct 21, 2007)

Hmph! 
My initial thought was for a list of easily accessible, highly fragrant [pleasant] orchids. Lycastes, and some of the dendros, aren't common in NYC but you can walk into flower shops and get other dendros or Onc. Sharry Baby.


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## MoreWater (Oct 21, 2007)

In that case.... Some of the onc types are nice too. I had this white one, Tropical 
Splendor I think, that had a nice peppery sweet scent. I liked it because it was mild and mildy sweet. 

Floofy catt scents usually get a good response though.


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## Marco (Oct 21, 2007)

NYEric said:


> Hmph!
> My initial thought was for a list of easily accessible, highly fragrant [pleasant] orchids. Lycastes, and some of the dendros, aren't common in NYC but you can walk into flower shops and get other dendros or Onc. Sharry Baby.



neos oke: im looking to place an order at OL for some sphag....


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## DukeBoxer (Oct 22, 2007)

I'd have to agree on the Neo's and I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sedirea japonica, that cirus fragrance is awesome!


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## goldenrose (Oct 23, 2007)

Don't torture me -I haven't had the pleasure - YET! I have a neo & sedirea but no blooms yet, cold weather is on the way, I'm sure that will help!


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## Pinebark (Oct 23, 2007)

Phal bellina. Magnificent!


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## slippertalker (Oct 23, 2007)

For filling the entire room with fragrance, Stanhopeas have little competition. Of course for really bad odor, Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis and others will fill the room also.........


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## Rick (Oct 23, 2007)

Vanda tricolor has a strong floral fragrance.

A couple of surprizing ones for me are Phal fasciata (tangerine) and Phal parrishii (strong floral).

My Bulbo cornutum (yes a bulbo:evil has a very pleasent perfumy/floral/spicy smell.

A bad surprize was Cattleya irricolor. BAD BO


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## biothanasis (Oct 23, 2007)

Hi there,

I envie you all!!!! The only orchid I have ever smelled is an Oncidium species that I really don't know which one was it, cause there are no tags (labels) on orchids here(!!!!!!!!!!!!), that was really pleasant and refreshing! It made me kind of happily dissy (I guess it is spelled like this!!!!????) and "reset" myself.... 

Thanasis...


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## biothanasis (Oct 23, 2007)

Hi again,

I have also smelled a native species here in Greece called Himantoglossum robertianum... Simillar smell with the one above, but much much slighter than the former!!! Just for the pollinators' pleasure...


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## streetmorrisart (Oct 24, 2007)

There are a lot already mentioned I want to second but won’t with all of them to save space. B. cucullata has to get an extra round of applause from me though for having been in bud or flower for years, also B. grandiflora for the first fourth to a third of the year reliably (powdery citrus on that one)…B. nodosa and I are at odds because I can’t get it to bloom, leaving me feeling like the village idiot (My husband has caught me tough-talking it).

Other favorites are Meiracyllium wendlandii, which blooms reliably with a nice display of magenta, cinnamon-scented flowers every November, Epi. nocturnum, which blooms throughout most of the year, Epi. magnoliae… Did anyone mention Paph. delenatii or Phrag. schlimii? That last one passed on the rose scent to my Phrag. Elizabeth Castle which I enjoy all the more for it. There are many more of course. You can hardly go wrong with any of the angraecoids—Aerangis fastuosa and Angraecum didieri are my favorites among those so far, but I have yet to sniff the Angraecum florulentum which I’ve read in multiple places is “best of the genus” for fragrance. Masd. strobelii, Masd. glandulosa, the hybrid of the two Masd. Confetti, Masd. Celtic Frost… Den. moniliforme is really nice too.


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## slippertalker (Oct 24, 2007)

Masdavallia Confetti! I had forgotten about that one....a profuse bloomer and a strong pleasing fragrance..


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## NYEric (Oct 28, 2007)

Yeah there are a lot of Masdies that are fragrant but not as strong as I would like. The B. cucullata sounds worth investigating. Thanx


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## nikv (Apr 7, 2010)

My Stanhopea jenischiana was blooming last week, so that one tops my list. Also near the top is Brassavola cucullata.


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## NYEric (Apr 8, 2010)

I think I have one of those Stanhopeas. Can you post a photo of blooming size? The green sarcoglottis I posted turned out to be fragrant and I picked up a Onc. Sharry Baby and a miltoniopsis from the Chinatown store for a good price to send to the good samaritan who picked me up when I ran off the rode but have not been able to track him down So I 2 fragrant orchids w/ bulbs!!


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## valenzino (Apr 8, 2010)

My favourite is Paph hangianum and is very interesting that keeps the scent also on dried flower.
I love scent of all Aerides group and like a lot to eat the shugar produced.
Bulb ambrosia is nice and in the night,some Angraecum have exceptional smell.


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## JeanLux (Apr 8, 2010)

I am with Nik for the stanhopeas, and then, my catt schroederae opened again with 2 blooms: Honey taste fills a good deal of my gh!!!! Jean


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## NYEric (Apr 8, 2010)

valenzino said:


> My favourite is Paph hangianum and is very interesting that keeps the scent also on dried flower..


Unfortunately this is something most of us are not able to enjoy. 


valenzino said:


> I love scent of all Aerides group and *like a lot to eat the shugar produced*.


AHHA! Take that Heather! oke:


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## Schlyne (Apr 10, 2010)

Onc. Twinkle can be pretty strong that I've noticed, but it was sitting right next to my desk.. I remember thinking right after I got mine that it didn't seem to be that scented...then I picked it up to water it, accidentally waved it under my nose and was almost overwhelmed.

I'd have to say the winner so far though is my Dendrobium anosmum. I just bought it at the show a couple of weeks ago. Only about 1/3 of one of the approximately three foot canes still had flowers. The flowers were basically dried and getting ready to fall off. It was pretty strong when we bagged the orchid for transit...I'm hoping I won't be completely overwhelmed when the flowers are fresh. It was the predominant smell in my orchid room for most of the next week.


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## tim (Apr 10, 2010)

omg no one mentioned gongora quinquinervis? the BEST..makes you want to carry it around for the whole 2 days it's in flower...


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## Kevin (Apr 10, 2010)

Coelogyne flaccida is fairly strong, but some people don't like it. It's kind of musky.

Some of my favourites are Onc. Sharry Baby and ornithorhynchum. Stanhopeas are awesome! Has anyone smelled Cyp. parviflorum var. makasin? Amazing vanilla scent!


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## cnycharles (Apr 10, 2010)

alot have already been mentioned, and rick mentioned vanda tricolor (suavis); I once tried to make a hybrid between tricolor and phal corningiana, the two fragrances were so nice! (pod didn't hold)


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## Leo Schordje (Apr 10, 2010)

It's now Spring, if you get a chance, put your noses into the north american native, Cypripedium pubescens. They have a charming peach or nectarine like fragrance, fruity and sweet.


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## Kevin (Apr 10, 2010)

I didn't know Cyp. parviflorum var. pubescens had a fragrance. I'll have to check it out when they bloom here.


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## smartie2000 (Apr 10, 2010)

yes cyp parviflorum has a very strong fragrance! very sweet, like mangoes


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## parvi_17 (Apr 10, 2010)

Every one of my pubescens has a fragrance, but they do vary slightly in strength and "type" of fragrance. All are pleasant though!

Actually, most of my Cyps have some sort of fragrance. My montanums have a lovely floral scent. The individual flowers are not very strong but my larger clump can be quite overpowering. One of my reginaes and both my Ulla Silkens have wonderful rosy fragrances. Passerinum has kind of a spicy fragrance too. My Giselas have only faint scents.

I don't have a henryi, but apparently they have a spicy fragrance as well. Acaule has a fantastic watermelon fragrance.


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## parvi_17 (Apr 10, 2010)

Oh, and I forgot: Cyp debile has almost a urine fragrance (luckily it's not very strong), and Cyp froschii has a light floral scent.


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## Shiva (Apr 10, 2010)

My choice is Encyclia cordigera. That perfume is extraordinary.


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## cnycharles (Apr 10, 2010)

parvi_17 said:


> ..... Acaule has a fantastic watermelon fragrance.



huh; all the pink ladyslippers I've seen, and I never bothered to check to see if it was fragrant (I assumed it wasn't for some reason). of course, maybe it's the usual supply of bomber mosquitos that surround the spots where I usually see it around here that kept me from slowing down to sniff them! I also never bothered to try and see if ram's head had a fragrance


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## parvi_17 (Apr 10, 2010)

cnycharles said:


> huh; all the pink ladyslippers I've seen, and I never bothered to check to see if it was fragrant (I assumed it wasn't for some reason). of course, maybe it's the usual supply of bomber mosquitos that surround the spots where I usually see it around here that kept me from slowing down to sniff them! I also never bothered to try and see if ram's head had a fragrance



Well, it's hard to say if _every_ plant would be fragrant, but both of the ones I had were fragrant. One of the nicest fragrances of any orchid, actually. It's too bad they're so bloody hard to grow!


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## Leo Schordje (Apr 11, 2010)

I was at Carson Whitlow's some 15 or more years ago, and at the time he felt that in addition to growth habit, habitat choice and floral part differences, one way to separate Cyp parviflorum var parviflorum from pubescens was by fragrance. And they were in bloom. 
parviflorum = rancid butter fragrance, tends to grow in open areas, really wet, often in sphagnum bogs. 
pubescens = fruity floral sweet, a little like peaches. Tends to grow in forests, or forest edges, more upland & shaded rather than open sunny swamp. 

At least that is my experience. I think the taxonomy of this group has been confused a bit by the lumping then splitting then lumping again. It's possible that a fair number of plants may have been distributed under the wrong names. Hard to tell them apart once you don't have their habitat preference to go by.


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## Kevin (Apr 11, 2010)

I'm not sure about var. parviflorum, but var. makasin has a very nice vanilla scent.


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## likespaphs (Apr 11, 2010)

Phal lueddemanniana!


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## Dido (Apr 11, 2010)

Thats interesting here, I never tried the smell of my Cypripedium, 
Will try it, at the next bloom. 

My Calanthe Tricariniata is very fragrance, I like it, but I cannot say which kind it is.


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## KyushuCalanthe (Apr 11, 2010)

Leo Schordje said:


> I was at Carson Whitlow's some 15 or more years ago, and at the time he felt that in addition to growth habit, habitat choice and floral part differences, one way to separate Cyp parviflorum var parviflorum from pubescens was by fragrance. And they were in bloom.
> parviflorum = rancid butter fragrance, tends to grow in open areas, really wet, often in sphagnum bogs.
> pubescens = fruity floral sweet, a little like peaches. Tends to grow in forests, or forest edges, more upland & shaded rather than open sunny swamp.
> 
> At least that is my experience. I think the taxonomy of this group has been confused a bit by the lumping then splitting then lumping again. It's possible that a fair number of plants may have been distributed under the wrong names. Hard to tell them apart once you don't have their habitat preference to go by.



Leo, definitely this species and its varieties have been mixed up and sold under all kinds of names. Add to that the intergrading of features between varieties and you get a big mess. I don't think anyone has adequately investigated this species in its full extent, though Dr. Charles Sheviak has come the closest. Particularly the northwestern populations need a more thorough look. 

As far as smell goes, I'd call var. makasin sweet, not rancid, at least to my noise.



Kevin said:


> I'm not sure about var. parviflorum, but var. makasin has a very nice vanilla scent.



It is sweet to my nose too, but more than just vanilla. Hard to nail down...


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## cnycharles (Apr 11, 2010)

in this neck of the woods, cyp p. var pubescens sometimes has a light scent, nice floral, not usually very strong. var. makasin has more of a 'rose-like' fragrance, and when we found parviflorum var. parviflorum (the tiny southern upland version), it had a distinctly 'musky' fragrance, which ken hull said sort of smelled like that old-fashioned older female sort of perfume. he's 'older' so has memory of that kind of scent... I of course wasn't alive that long ago  so didn't make that association

pubescens is usually much larger plant and often flower than the others around here. makasin may be as tall, but the flowers are not as large as the overall average of pubescens. you may have a very tall flower stem up to and above the leaves, but you still have a pretty small flower given the height of the plant. southern parviflorum if all like the large colony we saw in virginia, is really tiny. I've never seen pubescens in a climate-limited condition where it is stunted to that degree; they really are much smaller than the others though in shadier conditions it might get a little taller, but these flowers were no larger than the end of your thumb, sort of like small white ladyslipper


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## smartie2000 (Apr 11, 2010)

My Cattleya quadricolor smelled spicy, I liked that. Many many cattleyas should be on this fragrance list. Some spicy and others very strong and nectary.

Also I am suprised no one mentioned Paph malipoense. Although it is a light fragrance, it is a very fruity one.
My Paph Wossner Butterfly (malipoense x vietnamense) had that fruity smell. Too bad it went to heaven, it was a good clone...


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## NYEric (Apr 12, 2010)

Very strong tangy, savory fragrance.





Like chocolate and lemony from the miltoniopsis.


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## Lanmark (Apr 12, 2010)

Shiva said:


> My choice is Encyclia cordigera. That perfume is extraordinary.



I'd have to agree about the Encyclia cordigera: Awesome fragrance! :drool:

Encyclia tampense (the normal form) is very pleasant too, especially mid-morning in the sunshine, with a scent I'd best describe as lemony floral sweet. Trichoglottis pusilla smells extraordinarily nice, but you've got to put your nose right up to the flower to enjoy it. Trust me...you'll go back again and again. It's irresistable! Neofinetia falcata has one of my favorite scents, which is lucky for me since I grow more Neos than anything else. The scent has a way of morphing into different fragrances throughout the afternoon, evening, and nighttime into the early morning hours and it tends to wander and intensify. The only period of time mine aren't fragrant starts just before sunrise and lasts until early afternoon. Some of the big Cattleya hybrids are quite nicely fragrant too, and I almost always notice some odd but pleasant component in their scent not unlike a touch of Heliotrope or Oleander. Lc. Marie's Song 'CTM 217' smells exactly like Easter Lilies to me. The scent of Phalaenopsis bellina is particularly good. Anacheilium radiatum (Encyclia radiata) smells wonderful like cinnamon chewing gum when the flowers first open, but give it two or three weeks and it will start to smell like something you don't want in your house: hot rubber and burnt insects.  Dendrobium nobile is the first fragrant orchid I ever smelled so I'm forever in love with its scent. :smitten: Last but not least, Vandirea Newberry Jasmine smells very honey-and-perfume-sweet to me...does anyone know where I could get one?


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## likespaphs (Apr 12, 2010)

am i crazy or does my Paph lowii smell a little bit like nag champa?
(remember nag champa? click here....)


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## luis (Apr 12, 2010)

*Perfume of chinese cymbidiums are the best!*

My prefered perfums untill now are from the chinese cymbidiums... they are strong, sweet and citrus... it's afragrance that lift's my soul... :drool:


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## luis (Apr 12, 2010)

luis said:


> My prefered perfums untill now are from the chinese cymbidiums... they are strong, sweet and citrus... it's afragrance that lift's my soul... :drool:



and this one too


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## NYEric (Apr 12, 2010)

Nice collection Luis.


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## Shiva (Apr 12, 2010)

luis said:


> My prefered perfums untill now are from the chinese cymbidiums... they are strong, sweet and citrus... it's afragrance that lift's my soul... :drool:



Very nice flowers and plants Luis. I think I should try that. How do you grow them?


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## luis (Apr 13, 2010)

Shiva said:


> Very nice flowers and plants Luis. I think I should try that. How do you grow them?



It's better any one expecialized in cymbidium goeringii culture to tell you because i'm a no conventional grower. I have them in moss, pine bark and garden soil. Jappanese grow them differently!  But try it it worth it!!!


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## emydura (Apr 13, 2010)

The Australian Dendrobiums (now Thelychiton) are probably the most fragrant orchids I have smelt. When you go into a show where there are many of these, the fragrance is overpowering. The most fragrant of these is Dendrobium falcorostrum. It overpowers everything. It is also the most beautiful of the Australian Dendrobiums and deserves a place in every collection. Pristine white flowers with thick segments and excellent shape. Not sure how available these are outside of Australia, but if you see one, do yourself a favour and grab it.

David


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## NYEric (Apr 13, 2010)

Thanx for the photo! oke:


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