Cattleya bowringiana coerulea ‘Blue Smoke’ HCC/AOS

[DrLeslieEe]

I used to love coerulea everything so needless to say that when an opportunity arose to get a division of this classic came up from a judge in my area, I snatched it up

Third blooming for me. This time with ten flowers! Max height of PB 18 inch in my conditions. Flowers about 3.5-4 cm NS.

Culture: High light T5 (3000 fc), bark mix in SWC (sits in water with bottom layer of clay pellets), water liberally with slight drying in between. Love constant air movement. Warm all year.


Flowers just opened 2 days. Hopefully the lip expands a bit more. Sometimes low humidity will deter full floral expansion (my indoor heating averages 40% RH).

 

[Ozpaph]

blue bowringianas are lovely with a full head of flowers

 

[monocotman]

Lovely. It sounds like you give this plant more water than most catts when its in growth. Is this the case?
David

 

[DrLeslieEe]

They are all now in SWC, dries out in between with the bark in middle, except during growing season for those species that are ‘active’, while the resting ones I let dry one or two extra days. If in active growth, they are pretty much wet.

 

[SouthPark]

Very nice! So nice to have in the orchid collection.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Thanks all.

Today the flowers open a little more cheerful (aka lips opening to receive kisses lol).

 

[abax]

The colors are so harmonious. Are the flowers fragrant at some point in development?

 

[Guldal]

Gorgeous! My fma. typica is about to open, albeit with only four flowers.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

The colors are so harmonious. Are the flowers fragrant at some point in development?

Very light fragrance in the morning.
I agree the colors painted by nature are so pleasing indeed.
Maybe only Leonardo DaVinci can improve it LOL

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Gorgeous! My fma. typica is about to open, albeit with only four flowers.

Four is better than none lol
Don't worry, my division flowered with 4 flowers first year, then 6 next year and now 10 on the third year. As they get stronger they will have more.

 

[GuRu]

Leslie, these are awesome flowers but to me they are 'Blue Sky' not 'Blue Smoke'. Lol Congrats!

 

[Teresa Koncolor]

I had one of these do a first blooming for me and the flowers were tiny and deformed. I like the plant, so I'm keeping it. I hope future blooms look more like this one.

 

[Tlynnt66]

I used to love coerulea everything so needless to say that when an opportunity arose to get a division of this classic came up from a judge in my area, I snatched it up

Third blooming for me. This time with ten flowers! Max height of PB 18 inch in my conditions. Flowers about 3.5-4 cm NS.

Culture: High light T5 (3000 fc), bark mix in SWC (sits in water with bottom layer of clay pellets), water liberally with slight drying in between. Love constant air movement. Warm all year.

View attachment 22738View attachment 22739
Flowers just opened 2 days. Hopefully the lip expands a bit more. Sometimes low humidity will deter full floral expansion (my indoor heating averages 40% RH).

Ohh my goodness, I cannot believe I never knew about this cattleya!!! How magnificent!

 

[TrueNorth]

Nice one!

 

[BrucherT]

My. God.