# Ho Chi Minh



## Happypaphy7 (Apr 9, 2021)

On one very snowy early winter morning in January 2015, I joined the trip down to Woodstream openhouse sale event with Eric, Charles and Collins, who are all members here.
I only bought two things. One good sized Magic Lantern (which bloomed with a very nice flower later that summer to my surprise!) and little Ho Chi Minh.
It was the last two HCM left on the tray in the nursery and one was about half dead but this one was looking very healthy.
It slowly gained size over the years adding growth after growth without every showing any signs of blooming.
I have cheated and bought a few in bud HCM along the way while waiting on this guy to grow up and bloom. 
Now, earlier this year in late February, one of the growths showed an emerging spike and it is finally in bloom for me for the first time!
The plant has never been repotted this whole time and still sits in its 4inch square pot with orchiata (and tiny bit of perlite) in it.

The plant is about the smallest HCM I have had in leaf length and the flower is about the darkest.
The tag does not show any info regarding the parents.


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## masaccio (Apr 9, 2021)

Oooooh! Great story, great photo sequence, beautiful plant, gorgeous flower! I would add swear words for emphasis but don't want to get banned.


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## Paphluvr (Apr 9, 2021)

Very nice HCM and a beautiful plant. Nicely done!


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## KateL (Apr 9, 2021)

Gorgeous!

(I would add that, if that is Bill’s original tag, there might be a penciled number on the top of the back. If yes, it is possible that he has a record of the parents.)


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## papheteer (Apr 9, 2021)

Nice healthy plant! Nice bloom with great color and form. Let me know how long it last for you. I only get about 2 weeks with my HCMs before they get brown spots.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 10, 2021)

One of the better HCMs I’ve seen. Kudos to sticking it through.

Are you saying it’s been in the same orchiata since 2015?


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## GuRu (Apr 10, 2021)

Sometimes good things need its time !
This is a good HCM flower and only the leaves and its patterns make it worth to cultivate this plant.


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 10, 2021)

KateL said:


> Gorgeous!
> 
> (I would add that, if that is Bill’s original tag, there might be a penciled number on the top of the back. If yes, it is possible that he has a record of the parents.)


There is indeed a penciled number on the top of the back but it appears to be a date rather than a serial number of some sort as it reads 4/14.
I would assume that it is when the plant was potted up?


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 10, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> One of the better HCMs I’ve seen. Kudos to sticking it through.
> 
> Are you saying it’s been in the same orchiata since 2015?



Correct. never been repotted.


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 10, 2021)

GuRu said:


> Sometimes good things need its time !
> This is a good HCM flower and only the leafes and its patterns make it worth to cultivate this plant.



Yes! I love the plant just for the leaves alone!


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## lori.b (Apr 10, 2021)

Great story and wonderful pictures to accompany it. Congratulations! I just received my first HCM a few weeks ago and will be happy if the bloom is half as pretty as yours. I just hope I won't have to wait six years to find out


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## SlipperKing (Apr 10, 2021)

Nice!
6 years in the same mix, nice track record


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## Ozpaph (Apr 10, 2021)

that is super!


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## sunset (Apr 11, 2021)

bravo


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## NYEric (Apr 12, 2021)

Well grown. Good thing I decided to let you get that one!


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 13, 2021)

NYEric said:


> Well grown. Good thing I decided to let you get that one!


You were busy checking out all the phrags near the enterance while I was busy shopping


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 13, 2021)

lori.b said:


> Great story and wonderful pictures to accompany it. Congratulations! I just received my first HCM a few weeks ago and will be happy if the bloom is half as pretty as yours. I just hope I won't have to wait six years to find out


Hope so!


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 13, 2021)

SlipperKing said:


> Nice!
> 6 years in the same mix, nice track record


These potting mix seems to last for such a long time.
The Magic Lantern I bought on the same day is also still in its same pot and potting mix. I will finally repot it this year because the plant is bursting out of the pot with lots of growths!


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## PamO (Apr 14, 2021)

My Ho Chi Minh mother plant died. But she left me with 3 new (babies) fronds? So sorry don't know the paph language. Do species like to be planted in only sphagnum moss with a small bit of bark? Is it unusual for a maudiae to be in bloom for 4 months? Is 21" a normal size for a spike on a maudiae?


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 14, 2021)

PamO said:


> My Ho Chi Minh mother plant died. But she left me with 3 new (babies) fronds? So sorry don't know the paph language. Do species like to be planted in only sphagnum moss with a small bit of bark? Is it unusual for a maudiae to be in bloom for 4 months? Is 21" a normal size for a spike on a maudiae?



You can use pretty much any potting mix that work well for you and your plants. Whatever you use, you just have to adjust watering. 
I prefre bark (orchiata) based mix rather than having moss as a base mix. 
Maudiae type hybrids can last very long in bloom. Most commonly they last two months easily. Three is not uncommon and four months is definitely possible. Masterisanum lasts very long in bloom and many of these hybrids have mastersianum in its linage somewhere. 
Mastersianum is also known for a very long spike. Things like lawrenceanum can have pretty long spike as well.


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## PamO (Apr 14, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> You can use pretty much any potting mix that work well for you and your plants. Whatever you use, you just have to adjust watering.
> I prefre bark (orchiata) based mix rather than having moss as a base mix.
> Maudiae type hybrids can last very long in bloom. Most commonly they last two months easily. Three is not uncommon and four months is definitely possible. Masterisanum lasts very long in bloom and many of these hybrids have mastersianum in its linage somewhere.
> Mastersianum is also known for a very long spike. Things like lawrenceanum can have pretty long spike as well.


WOW!! I could never in my wildest imagination thought there was so much to learn about one plant! Thank you so much for the information about my big boy! I'm saving this post too.


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 16, 2021)

PamO said:


> WOW!! I could never in my wildest imagination thought there was so much to learn about one plant! Thank you so much for the information about my big boy! I'm saving this post too.


Thank you


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 16, 2021)

An update on this flower:
The dreaded brown spots started to appear on the dorsal yesterday.
So, this flower lasted for 6-7 days in pristine conditions. It took about two days for the bud to open up fully and I start counting from the third day until the day the brown spots began to appear.
The flower shape stayed nicely the whole time. Often, petals tend to grow more in length and curl backward or twist around or droop on this hybrid.
I’m keeping this one


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## Duck Slipper (Apr 17, 2021)

There are foliage plants sold in the house plant trade that aren’t as nice as this...beautiful plant and the flower is a definite bonus.


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## PamO (Apr 17, 2021)

PamO said:


> WOW!! I could never in my wildest imagination thought there was so much to learn about one plant! Thank you so much for the information about my big boy! I'm saving this post too.


This is for Happypaphy7: I did look at the 2 types of maudiae and mine comes from the lawrenceanum type. Thanks again.


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 18, 2021)

Duck Slipper said:


> There are foliage plants sold in the house plant trade that aren’t as nice as this...beautiful plant and the flower is a definite bonus.


I agree


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## NYEric (Apr 19, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> You were busy checking out all the phrags near the enterance while I was busy shopping


You're probably right. I like to look through each pot of Phrags. I missed out on a Paph. Ho Chi Minh album there once because of that.


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 19, 2021)

NYEric said:


> You're probably right. I like to look through each pot of Phrags. I missed out on a Paph. Ho Chi Minh album there once because of that.


HCM album?? Is there a vietnamense album to make album HCM??


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 19, 2021)

An update on the flower while at it.
The flower is still maintaining its shape perfectly fine even with lots of brown spots on it.
This is very strange because my other HCM would wither and drop its flower fast (barely two days perhaps) once a few brown spots appear. 
I have to say it is not the prettiest thing to look at in this state. hahaha


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 19, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> HCM album?? Is there a vietnamense album to make album HCM??


I might have the last surviving vietbum. Still a pup though, couple years from blooming.


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 19, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> I might have the last surviving vietbum. Still a pup though, couple years from blooming.


Wow, really?? 
From Taiwan? Japan? USA? 
I would rather have typical vietnamense flower but the leaves would still look very nice I bet!


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 19, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Wow, really??
> From Taiwan? Japan? USA?
> I would rather have typical vietnamense flower but the leaves would still look very nice I bet!


From a private German collector.


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## Happypaphy7 (Apr 19, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> From a private German collector.


Dang, I almost included Germany in my guesses 
Would love to see it in bloom one fine day!


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 19, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Dang, I almost included Germany in my guesses
> Would love to see it in bloom one fine day!


Haha the Germans and the Swiss have many hidden gems! It’s quite a challenge to ‘procure’ the plants from them.


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## GuRu (Apr 20, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> HCM album?? Is there a vietnamense album to make album HCM??



P. vietnamense album and HCM allbum exist. I think about 10 years ago Popow sold flasks of HCM album.
I've growing a HCM album (at least it's written on the tag) since some years but it hasn't flowered yet. Maybe in 1 or 2 years time.
It was Berthold who flowered a HCM album some years ago and I think, he showed photos here, too.



DrLeslieEe said:


> Haha the Germans and the Swiss have many hidden gems! It’s quite a challenge to ‘procure’ the plants from them.


Ha, ha Leslie......these Germans....


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## NYEric (Apr 20, 2021)

Happypaphy7 said:


> HCM album?? Is there a vietnamense album to make album HCM??


There were. Rare as hen's teeth. besides what is said here I know they were in collections in Australia and VN.


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