A whiff of this, a whiff of that

[Paphluvr]

Just sitting here having my morning coffee and got a faint whiff of one of my Paph. delenatii on a nearby shelf, one of my favorite fragrant orchids. Others were Lc. aromatica and B. nodosa. Life is good.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

Did someone mention fragrant orchids?!? That's a quick way to beckon me.

Is your delenatii a standard type or one of the dunkel / half-dunkel types? I find that the dunkels are more reliably fragrant and tend to be more strongly scented. It's been so long since I've seen and smelled a Lycaste aromatica that I don't recall what it was like (a quick search says cinnamon though). Is this the normal time of year for that to bloom in your conditions?

My B. nodosa is in bloom, too, and my Bepi. Green Dragon just keeps throwing out new flower spikes. These are outside this time of year and sometimes at night I see the giant hawk moths flying around the greenhouse, even found one inside. They love B. nodosa.

On the flip side, my B. Aristocrat has decided to send out 2 blooms this summer and neither flower had much scent at all like they normally do when they bloom in the late fall or winter. I don't know if it's the heat or the fact that they are getting pollinated by all the critters within a day or so of opening.

 

[Paphluvr]

Did someone mention fragrant orchids?!? That's a quick way to beckon me.

Is your delenatii a standard type or one of the dunkel / half-dunkel types? I find that the dunkels are more reliably fragrant and tend to be more strongly scented. It's been so long since I've seen and smelled a Lycaste aromatica that I don't recall what it was like (a quick search says cinnamon though). Is this the normal time of year for that to bloom in your conditions?

My B. nodosa is in bloom, too, and my Bepi. Green Dragon just keeps throwing out new flower spikes. These are outside this time of year and sometimes at night I see the giant hawk moths flying around the greenhouse, even found one inside. They love B. nodosa.

On the flip side, my B. Aristocrat has decided to send out 2 blooms this summer and neither flower had much scent at all like they normally do when they bloom in the late fall or winter. I don't know if it's the heat or the fact that they are getting pollinated by all the critters within a day or so of opening.

This one is the standard form that I believe is from the collection in the ‘90’s. It’s actually the second time it bloomed this year. The first was on a fully mature growth back in May and than this spike surprised me by popping up on what I considered an immature growth. I also have standard form delenatii that are from the original collection in the early 20th century that I’ve been growing since the late 1970’s. I think they are even more fragrant than the one presently in bloom.

Yes, Lyc. aromatica blooms this time of year and the fragrance is reminiscent of cinnamon. Unfortunately the cultivar I presently have is not very fragrant and my conditions are not cold enough for it to put on a good show. My B. nodosa went bye-bye years ago in a divorce.

If you’re interested in fragrant species the Epi. radiatum that I mentioned (which I think has been reclassified) is extremely fragrant. I was growing it under lights in the spare bedroom of a three bedroom ranch, and if I inadvertently left the door to the room open we could smell it in the living room.

If you just like fragrant plants in general (not necessarily orchid), get yourself a “corn plant” (Dracaena fragrans) and get it to bloom. It’s aptly named.

 

[NYEric]

I have an album Phal and Bulbo. ambrosia in bloom.

 

[Just1more]

I love fragrant blooms as well! Just haven’t been able to grow delanatii successfully. I love the nodosa and hybrids. My older plant seems to bloom for about six months out of the year. Recently acquired a Jiminy Cricket bloom size division, looking forward to enjoying its blooms

 

[Paphluvr]

I love fragrant blooms as well! Just haven’t been able to grow delanatii successfully. I love the nodosa and hybrids. My older plant seems to bloom for about six months out of the year. Recently acquired a Jiminy Cricket bloom size division, looking forward to enjoying its blooms

What sort of problems do you have with Paph. delenatii?