# Cymbidium elegans & iridioides



## emydura (Jun 16, 2009)

Both are currently in flower for me. Not commonly grown. For some reason unlike other orchid genera, Cymbidium growers don't tend to grow species much. Not sure if that is the case elsewhere.

David 


Cymbidium elegans







Cymbidium iridioides 'Sandown'


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## NYEric (Jun 16, 2009)

Exxcellent!


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jun 16, 2009)

Ooo! Love the elegans - what a cool plant! That's ain't your typical cymbid, that's for sure.


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## mkline3 (Jun 16, 2009)

That elegans is fantastic! I've never known that cymbidiums could look like that!


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## dan_t (Jun 16, 2009)

Great plants and flowers! I agree - not enough of the species are grown!

Dan


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## Elena (Jun 16, 2009)

Fabulous plants.


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## biothanasis (Jun 16, 2009)

Amazing both, although I love the colour of iridioides more!!! Wish I could grow cyms...


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## paphioboy (Jun 16, 2009)

What's the gladiolus/freesia doing in ST..?  Very nice, both of them..


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## SlipperFan (Jun 16, 2009)

Wow -- that is some display!


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## goldenrose (Jun 17, 2009)

:clap: AWESOME SHOW!!! :clap:


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## Greenpaph (Jun 17, 2009)

Both are great! I have 2 Cym iridiodes which I have not bloomed yet. I hope they are as nice!


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## Berthold (Dec 19, 2020)

Is there anybody growing Cymbidium elegans?
It is doing well in a cold greenhouse in winter time.


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## monocotman (Dec 20, 2020)

Very nice Berthold! What are your winter temperatures in this greenhouse? Frostfree only?


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## Berthold (Dec 20, 2020)

monocotman said:


> Very nice Berthold! What are your winter temperatures in this greenhouse? Frostfree only?


Above 5° C, in winter most time between 7 an d 12°C depending on sunshine


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## Ozpaph (Dec 20, 2020)

i wonder if David still has his?


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## DrLeslieEe (Dec 21, 2020)

So nice to see someone growing Cymbidium species. They have such charm and elegance unlike the big bold burly hybrids.


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## tomp (Dec 21, 2020)

Cymbidium traceyanum is another species worthy of the space. It is truly exotic and very fragrant also.
re elegans: mine sees as low as 42F.
species Cyms be a little more fussy that the hybirds but absolutely worth it


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## emydura (Dec 22, 2020)

WOW. This is an old post. More than a decade ago.



Ozpaph said:


> i wonder if David still has his?



Sorry, just got back from climbing Australia's ten highest mountains with my daughter. 

No, I no longer have mine Stephen. I can't even remember what happened to it. I was growing it outside in some pretty cold conditions (well below freezing in winter. It did alright for a while but I suspect the temperatures were a little too extreme in the end.

Now that I have my new cool house, I am getting back to growing species Cymbidiums. So I will have to try and find another elegans and other species. I have a whole lot on order, but because of current circumstances I won't get those to next autumn. One of those include hookerianum which I particularly like.

On another note, it is only just come to my attention (from the seller) that the Cymbidium iridioides 'Sandown' above is in fact a primary hybrid of iridioides and erythraeum. I still have this plant.


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## emydura (Dec 22, 2020)

tomp said:


> Cymbidium traceyanum is another species worthy of the space. It is truly exotic and very fragrant also.
> re elegans: mine sees as low as 42F.
> species Cyms be a little more fussy that the hybirds but absolutely worth it



I have a couple of traceyanum. I particularly like this species. The only problem is I just can't get it to flower.


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## Ozpaph (Dec 22, 2020)

the dark green hookers are very nice.
The 10 highest mountains in Australia..........................well done but i doubt you needed ropes and crampons!


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## jokerpass (Dec 22, 2020)

I do grow Cymbidium species, only 1 species, Cymbidium goeringii. All grown in Toronto, Canada.

Last year's display at my home



Some flower close up-Cymbidium goeringii "Haruka" 日本春蘭「春華」



Half of this year's crop



The buds are getting fatter slowly, should be very fat by mid January before the flower stems start to elongate.


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## Berthold (Dec 22, 2020)

In my greenhouse Cymbidium erythraeum last winter


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## Berthold (Dec 22, 2020)

And Cymbidium hookerianum


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## tomp (Dec 22, 2020)

Re: elegans, erythaeum, and tracyanum 

Cym tracyannum: mine like lots of light and lots of food and water when active growth (as most Cyms) and are of winter bloomers to brighten the dark days.

Another similar exotic look but, smaller flower, option Cym erythraeum 

re elegans: I find that if humidity a bit high when cold they can develope botritus (like my white(soft Cattleya)


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## emydura (Dec 23, 2020)

Ozpaph said:


> the dark green hookers are very nice.
> The 10 highest mountains in Australia..........................well done but i doubt you needed ropes and crampons!



The hookerianum clone I am getting is a very nice one. Won grand champion three times at a Victorian show.

Yes, I was able to get by without ropes, crampons or bottled oxygen. My father told me how he used to drive up to the top of Mt Kosciuszko.


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## emydura (Dec 23, 2020)

Berthold - you have some beautifully grown specimen species Cymbidiums. They look stunning. Great work.


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## Berthold (Dec 23, 2020)

Cymbidium erythrostylum


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## monocotman (Dec 23, 2020)

Berthold, you have some lovely cyms
David


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## PeteM (Dec 23, 2020)

tomp said:


> Cymbidium traceyanum is another species worthy of the space. It is truly exotic and very fragrant also.
> re elegans: mine sees as low as 42F.
> species Cyms be a little more fussy that the hybirds but absolutely worth it View attachment 24169
> View attachment 24170
> View attachment 24170


Amazing.. these flowers are dear to my heart.. I have one from SBOE, I’ve had it for years and will never be able to bloom it because I grow it too warm. Maybe one day I’ll figure it out. Fantastic growing, what a treat.


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## jokerpass (Dec 23, 2020)

I posted some C. goeringii pictures a few days ago, I thought I would post more of my C. goeringii that bloomed last season. All these plants have lots of buds again this year (more than last year), a very rewarding Cymbidium species with lots of flowers that bloom every year. C. goeringii is also the smallest Cymbidium species out there, there are many Japanese and Korean varieites that have leaves that are no more than 10 cm tall, so truly a miniature doesn't take too much space in terms of Cymbidiums.


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## NYEric (Dec 23, 2020)

hookers?


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## Berthold (Dec 23, 2020)

Have a look at hookers


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## Berthold (Dec 23, 2020)

the harvest was 40 carats of seeds


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## tomp (Dec 24, 2020)

PeteM said:


> Amazing.. these flowers are dear to my heart.. I have one from SBOE, I’ve had it for years and will never be able to bloom it because I grow it too warm. Maybe one day I’ll figure it out. Fantastic growing, what a treat.


Pete, re growing too warm, do you have any way to give a cooler-cold rest for a few weeks to initiate a bloom cycle? (Outside, in a closet, or garage?) It works for some who grow in houses with no day/night temperature change. Im sure you have thought all this through i’m just noodling. Btw I got one of my elegans from SBOE also.


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## tomp (Dec 24, 2020)

Berthold said:


> Have a look at hookers.
> 
> hookers are stunning, I am a real sucker for green flowers. I am patiently awaiting my recently reacquired hooker to grow up.
> 
> View attachment 24241


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## PeteM (Dec 24, 2020)

tomp said:


> Pete, re growing too warm, do you have any way to give a cooler-cold rest for a few weeks to initiate a bloom cycle? (Outside, in a closet, or garage?) It works for some who grow in houses with no day/night temperature change. Im sure you have thought all this through i’m just noodling. Btw I got one of my elegans from SBOE also.


Thanks. Yes, the outside spiking is not a problem.. it’s the continued cooler temps through the winter that is challenging. I tried under a light in a cooler spot in the basement last year but was unsuccessful. And lost / setback a few cooler growing orchids.. will continue to think about the parameters and come up with something.


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## jokerpass (Dec 24, 2020)

During the cool/winter rest, depedning what Cymbidium species, you have to keep it between 5C-15C (but 10C on average is the best). Humidity must be between 50%-70%. During this cold winter temp, you have hold back on watering. If you water too much (cold wet feet), then the roots will rot over the winter. It will not show signs of root loss until into spring and summer. For these kind of Cymbidiums, once you have the set up (conditions), it is very low maintenance. For now, I only water once every 2 weeks and it is enough.


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