# The story of a large Paph, aka THE EAGLE HAS OPENED



## BrucherT (Jan 30, 2020)

The eagle has unfurled his wings! The king has turned his darkling resplendence to face his adoring court! 

I just can’t believe it. Over the moon. So very pleased that the first roth I ever have beheld happens to be this “heritage plant,” collected on a whim by an entomologist in the 1950s and lovingly stewarded by a fortunate few in undiluted, un”improved” form all these decades and now to be treasured by me as long as I can keep it happy. 

I humbly submit this first open flower for your admiration or contempt! lol. And nothing against the “improved” roths; I certainly appreciate their stunning inflorescent achievements as well and look forward to mine someday showing itself off.

But oh, this wild jungle thing, this large and lurid jewel of magnificent miracle...

I am aware that my photos are inadequate but I’m not a photographer.


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## mrhappyrotter (Jan 30, 2020)

Very cool. Congrats on keeping this going and getting it to bloom.


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## Linus_Cello (Jan 30, 2020)

Congrats!


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## troy (Jan 30, 2020)

Is it a Charles e?


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## Tony (Jan 30, 2020)

Modern roths are amazing plants but there is something to be said for preserving wild clones as well, congrats on the bloom.


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## BrucherT (Jan 31, 2020)

Tony said:


> Modern roths are amazing plants but there is something to be said for preserving wild clones as well, congrats on the bloom.


They are! I agree! I also have this one, picked up as a bedraggled single-growth from the CBG post-show sale for $10. I hope someday to get to see how they differ. If anybody knows these parents...


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## BrucherT (Jan 31, 2020)

troy said:


> Is it a Charles e?


She didn’t have a name, just the info. Had lost the tag.


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## BrucherT (Jan 31, 2020)

BrucherT said:


> She didn’t have a name, just the info. Had lost the tag.


I know she bought it from Carter and Holmes.


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## BrucherT (Jan 31, 2020)

Linus_Cello said:


> Congrats!


Aw thank you! I do feel accomplished lol.


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## BrucherT (Jan 31, 2020)

mrhappyrotter said:


> Very cool. Congrats on keeping this going and getting it to bloom.


Thank you!!!


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## DrLeslieEe (Jan 31, 2020)

Well done! Your care was amazing and she rewarded you! Behold the King of Paphs!


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## Don I (Jan 31, 2020)

Very impressive.
Don


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## Djthomp28 (Jan 31, 2020)

Very cool indeed. Thanks for sharing the pictures and the story about of this roth. 

Mine don't have a cool story. Maybe thats why they are not blooming.


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## cabnc (Jan 31, 2020)

I asked Bridget Uzar from C & H and this is her reply, " I am sorry but Mac and I don't know which clone they are referring to. The awarded clones I remember from our collection are 'Chester Hill', 'Excelsior' , 'Mont Milas' , 'Rex' and 'Charles' (likely not the full cultivar name). I wish I could be more help. Bridget "


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## KateL (Jan 31, 2020)

Her petals are as graceful and slender as a silent screen siren of yesteryear.


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## BrucherT (Jan 31, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Well done! Your care was amazing and she rewarded you! Behold the King of Paphs!


Aw you folks are the giants of growing! I’m so happy to have this joy to share, given all the vicarious living I do through you and your pure white dreams!


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## BrucherT (Jan 31, 2020)

KateL said:


> Her petals are as graceful and slender as a silent screen siren of yesteryear.


Wow. WOW! That’s a gorgeous analogy! What a gift, thank you!!


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## BrucherT (Jan 31, 2020)

cabnc said:


> I asked Bridget Uzar from C & H and this is her reply, " I am sorry but Mac and I don't know which clone they are referring to. The awarded clones I remember from our collection are 'Chester Hill', 'Excelsior' , 'Mont Milas' , 'Rex' and 'Charles' (likely not the full cultivar name). I wish I could be more help. Bridget "


Oh wow! I never even thought to do that! Maybe I should approach them with the grower’s name and see if they have a record? The tag lists the years of purchase and notes the blooming. I think I have her original tag but not the original C&H tag.


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## BrucherT (Jan 31, 2020)

Djthomp28 said:


> Very cool indeed. Thanks for sharing the pictures and the story about of this roth.
> 
> Mine don't have a cool story. Maybe thats why they are not blooming.


Aww I am sure they have many cool stories...and when they do look, you will write a new one! Wish I had help to offer. Mine is in strong light with very moderate filtering that’s only there because the double-paned windows have failed and there are increasing mineral water stains building up. But it sits RIGHT in the window and there’s a lot of cool fresh air drafting in. I was told that the leaves need to be chartreuse yellowish for it to bloom. I think I’m on the cusp of that, the low end of that color. I feed/water once to twice a week using (for the past several months) First Rays k-lite and sometimes his KelpMax. Twice a year I’m sprinkling crushed powdered oyster shell over the bark until it looks like snow. It quickly washes through. RO water. Temps are pretty cool right in that window all winter: highest oh 68 day, high 50s at night. Sending you blooming vibes.


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## Ozpaph (Feb 1, 2020)

nice, classic roth


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## Justin (Feb 1, 2020)

That is an excellent wild form roth. Comgrats. Very much worth keeping!


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## NYEric (Feb 3, 2020)

Thanks for sharing.


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## musa (Feb 4, 2020)

Absolutely amazing and thanks for showing it! I'll have to wait still several years to see my own roth's blooming...


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## BrucherT (Feb 4, 2020)

musa said:


> Absolutely amazing and thanks for showing it! I'll have to wait still several years to see my own roth's blooming...


It’s worth it!


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## APaphalypseNow (Feb 6, 2020)

Very nice. I picked up a roth v. roth (no other cultivar info on tag) at an orchid-only store near where I live in CO that had 5 mature near-bs growths (the store owner is a friend who admitted to me that had he known it was there, would not have sold it for a measly $65, ha!). Ive nurtured it for close on 3 years now. Looks great. Remarkably slow growing but super healthy foliage. Anyway, this just makes me anxious for the glorious day when signs of spikes appear. Jealous. Congrats!


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## BrucherT (Feb 6, 2020)

APaphalypseNow said:


> Very nice. I picked up a roth v. roth (no other cultivar info on tag) at an orchid-only store near where I live in CO that had 5 mature near-bs growths (the store owner is a friend who admitted to me that had he known it was there, would not have sold it for a measly $65, ha!). Ive nurtured it for close on 3 years now. Looks great. Remarkably slow growing but super healthy foliage. Anyway, this just makes me anxious for the glorious day when signs of spikes appear. Jealous. Congrats!



wow 5 growths?!? That’s an amazing price...may we see photos? And please describe conditions? What I’ve picked up from roth people is that it really needs a lot of light, that for the plant to bloom it needs the foliage to turn a sort of chartreuse yellow-green. Mine is in an unfiltered south window. The leaves right now are actually greener because eve had only two bright days in the past month. But the bloom was built into the plant long before. What looks like a burn mark on the leaves is actually from when a bunch of plants crashed down onto it in an accident. It also seems to appreciate sprinklings of crushed oyster shell every few months. I want yours to bloom!! Hopefully all your growths at once!


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## Justin (Feb 7, 2020)

Lol no update?


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## Ozpaph (Feb 7, 2020)

APaphalypseNow said:


> Very nice. I picked up a roth v. roth (no other cultivar info on tag) at an orchid-only store near where I live in CO that had 5 mature near-bs growths (the store owner is a friend who admitted to me that had he known it was there, would not have sold it for a measly $65, ha!). Ive nurtured it for close on 3 years now. Looks great. Remarkably slow growing but super healthy foliage. Anyway, this just makes me anxious for the glorious day when signs of spikes appear. Jealous. Congrats!


I hate to rain on your parade but has it ever flowered???


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## APaphalypseNow (Feb 7, 2020)

Parade?? Yeah no, it has not yet flowered lol. Pics are from about a year ago


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## Justin (Feb 8, 2020)

Looks great! Give it a little more light for the next year and regular feeding. You should see sheaths by winter, and then buds show in eary February.


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## BrucherT (Feb 8, 2020)

APaphalypseNow said:


> View attachment 18222
> View attachment 18223
> Parade?? Yeah no, it has not yet flowered lol. Pics are from about a year ago


Absolutely stunning plant and I will bet you it’s just not getting enough light to flower. Those leaves are dark. They should look a weird golden yellow-green that in any other plant would be sickly. I bet you increase the light this next year and they go off like a bomb. You won’t want to burn it, I’m sure, but you need to walk right up to that edge.

“rain on your parade” is an idiom meaning “disappoint you,” he’s saying something is wrong.


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## BrucherT (Feb 8, 2020)

APaphalypseNow said:


> View attachment 18222
> View attachment 18223
> Parade?? Yeah no, it has not yet flowered lol. Pics are from about a year ago



do you have a pic of when you got it? I see the same 5 growths...it could be a compot if you bought it small.


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## tomBEE (Feb 10, 2020)

It demonstrates how king should look!


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## musa (Feb 11, 2020)

Wow! I'd like to have that one...


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## Justin (Feb 17, 2020)

@BrucherT can we see an update when all the flowers are open? Thx!


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## BrucherT (Feb 18, 2020)

Justin said:


> @BrucherT can we see an update when all the flowers are open? Thx!


Oh! Sure my pleasure!


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## Justin (Feb 18, 2020)

Very very nice! A keeper.


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## musa (Feb 19, 2020)

Wow!


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## BrucherT (Feb 19, 2020)

Justin said:


> Very very nice! A keeper.


Thank you so much, I’m enjoying sharing it, so nice to hear that I’m not alone in being awed by this being.


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## BrucherT (Feb 19, 2020)

musa said:


> Wow!


Thank you!!


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