# My most favorite



## LadySlipper (Jan 27, 2022)

Can anyone tell us their most favorite non-slipper orchid and why?


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## Tony (Jan 27, 2022)

Brassia Datacosa 'Coos Bay' AM/AOS, it was the first orchid I ever bought back in the early 90s and I still have divisions in my collection today.


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## Linus_Cello (Jan 27, 2022)

Vanilla- yum!


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## TyroneGenade (Jan 27, 2022)

I am a sucker for Tolumnias.


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## Anca86 (Jan 27, 2022)

Wow...that's a very good question... Acantheppipium species. They are difficult to find and the flowers are quite interesting.


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## BrucherT (Jan 28, 2022)

I love the Asian grass-leaves “Jensoa” Cymbidiums. I find the traditional pottery and form of the plants existentially satisfying. Sadly, I struggle to grow them. The mountain of dead plants is a whole mood of chagrin.


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## Linus_Cello (Jan 28, 2022)

BrucherT said:


> “Jensoa” Cymbidiums



How are your growing them? I'm experimenting with some cheap ones in s/h, and so far ok.


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## OrchidAnna (Jan 28, 2022)

I say everything is my favorite when it’s in bloom.  

that said, I’ve really been enjoying bulbophyllums in the past year or two. Thai Spider was a favorite, as is ambrosia.


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## Tom499 (Jan 29, 2022)

Sedirea japonica


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## KeysGuy (Jan 29, 2022)

Any Aerides but houlletiana in particular.
Just something about that coloring combination and fragrance.


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## abax (Jan 30, 2022)

Phals are wonderful because they bloom just when I need the color and encouragement to
get through the rest of winter. One blooming now and many showing spikes. Hooray!


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## cnycharles (Jan 30, 2022)

I love caladenias but have never seen one in flower in person


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## Paphman910 (Feb 4, 2022)

Cattleya walkeriana and Phal bellina. The scent is heavenly!


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## LO69 (Feb 5, 2022)

If only one Is allowed then no doubts it's Phal. bellina for me!! Love the contrast of magenta and greenish white and the wonderful fragrance too. Plus a long lasting flowering!
Mounted It makes a better display.


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## Happypaphy7 (Feb 5, 2022)

I can't just pick one. Too many!! 
My current favorite is Neostylis Pinky that has been in bloom for quite some time now mainly for the sweet fragrance it emits day and night.
The plant itself is too big. I have much smaller Pinky but they are blasting queens. I lost spikes on all four or five of them this time last year and again, two of them just decided to dry up its spike after many months in the work. Frustrating!! 

Oh, and Brassavola nodosa just opened up a couple of days ago showing off its lovely heart-shaped white lip offset by thin little green petals, and of course, the powerful scent at night. 
Phalaenopsis schilleriana is going to open in about a week or so, and it will become my favorite then.  

If I ever owned a greenhouse with lots of space and enough cooling in the winter, other than having more Paphiopedilum seedlings (yay!!), I would also love to expand my Neofinetia falcata and Dendrobium nobile type hybrid collection. I love the fragrance of these two groups, and they just look great!


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## NEslipper (Feb 7, 2022)

Cattleyas, particularly the heirloom corsage types. Think Bow bells, Bob Betts, and Norman’s Bay. They were bred for vigor and floriferousness, so they are very rewarding to grow, and as a bonus, the blooms smell amazing. They’re also living pieces of history. While most of the plants I listed are post-1940, if you want something old, you can still find divisions of plants from the latter half of the 19th century.


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## Ozpaph (Feb 8, 2022)

Maybe Sophronitis coccinea


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## LadySlipper (Feb 8, 2022)

NEslipper said:


> They’re also living pieces of history. While most of the plants I listed are post-1940, if you want something old, you can still find divisions of plants from the latter half of the 19th century.


That's so amazing. Do you mean plants from before 1940 are still grown today?


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## JustinR (Feb 8, 2022)

A huge Cattleya warscewiczii with multiple spikes each carrying 5 or more 25cm flowers. Not much could compete with that for sheer impact I guess.


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## Greenpaph (Feb 8, 2022)

Spotted bifoliate Catts! Easy to grow, most are fragrant and a variety of colors!❤


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## NEslipper (Feb 8, 2022)

Yes, there are plenty of original pre-1940 hybrid plants still grown today. Pre-1900 it’s mostly species, think lueddemanniana ‘Stanleyi’, labiata ‘Cooksoniae’, and quite a few trianeai such as ‘Grand Monarch’, ‘Mooreana’, and ‘Osmanii’ to name a few. One thing to keep in mind is that these plants have been pruned, divided and repotted many times during their 100 plus years in cultivation so many may test positive for virus, although they may be otherwise asymptomatic.


LadySlipper said:


> That's so amazing. Do you mean plants from before 1940 are still grown today?


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## LadySlipper (Feb 9, 2022)

NEslipper said:


> Yes, there are plenty of original pre-1940 hybrid plants still grown today. Pre-1900 it’s mostly species, think lueddemanniana ‘Stanleyi’, labiata ‘Cooksoniae’, and quite a few trianeai such as ‘Grand Monarch’, ‘Mooreana’, and ‘Osmanii’ to name a few. One thing to keep in mind is that these plants have been pruned, divided and repotted many times during their 100 plus years in cultivation so many may test positive for virus, although they may be otherwise asymptomatic.


That's is so interesting and educational. Are those viruses untreatable?


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## NEslipper (Feb 9, 2022)

I remember hearing a few years ago that there was potentially a treatment, but it cost thousands of dollars per plant, so functionally, the viruses are untreatable. Some plants can grow and bloom fine despite testing positive, other plants exhibit necrotic spotting, premature flower drop, and reduced vigor. Since the viruses are easy transmitted, great care is recommended if you plan to acquire a virus positive plant to prevent spread to uninfected plants.


LadySlipper said:


> That's is so interesting and educational. Are those viruses untreatable?


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## LadySlipper (Feb 10, 2022)

NEslipper said:


> I remember hearing a few years ago that there was potentially a treatment, but it cost thousands of dollars per plant, so functionally, the viruses are untreatable. Some plants can grow and bloom fine despite testing positive, other plants exhibit necrotic spotting, premature flower drop, and reduced vigor. Since the viruses are easy transmitted, great care is recommended if you plan to acquire a virus positive plant to prevent spread to uninfected plants.


Thank you so much for your replies. I must be a bit smarter now.


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## Ray (Feb 10, 2022)

If I had a way to "winter" them, I'd have a lot of vandas. Grown in baskets with no media, they grow and put on very colorful shows. I am mostly into very bright yellow/orange/red colors, but one of the most stunning ones I ever had was a cross I registered (O/U), naming it after my wife - Vanda My Michele - the blossoms we flat as a pancake and typically reached 15 cm natural spread.


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## Ozpaph (Feb 12, 2022)

thats very nice, Ray.


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## tomp (Feb 12, 2022)

LadySlipper said:


> Can anyone tell us their most favorite non-slipper orchid and why?


That question made my head hurt. As I started to reply my list got pretty long pretty quickly.
Several Dendrobiums such as: tretifolium v. farfaxii, speciosum, tetrogonum, several species Cymbidiums like tracyanum, then there are a few Masdavallies like princeps etc, oh and almost any Sophronitis, and of course C. walkeriana and friends, Coelogeny, Anguloa, and Lycaste rank pretty high.
sheesh, what a fun question.


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## LO69 (Feb 18, 2022)

Ray said:


> If I had a way to "winter" them, I'd have a lot of vandas. Grown in baskets with no media, they grow and put on very colorful shows. I am mostly into very bright yellow/orange/red colors, but one of the most stunning ones I ever had was a cross I registered (O/U), naming it after my wife - Vanda My Michele - the blossoms we flat as a pancake and typically reached 15 cm natural spread.
> View attachment 32265


Great colour and shape Ray!


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