mrhappyrotter
Grand Chupacabra
Here's a cute miniature Cymbidium species that's not terribly common in collections (at least not in the USA). It's putting on a good display this year, so I thought I'd share. I'm not sure if I've posted photos of it here before. I purchased this from Louisiana Orchid Connection many years ago, so it's been around in my collection for a while.
Last I checked, this is species is placed in section Jensoa aka Chinese Cymbidiums. It's one of a small number of wide leafed Cymbidium species.
Cymbidium lancifolium is a climber and that makes repotting a bit of a challenge. Also, it's sometimes tough to nurture the new roots that pop out well above the potting mix and tend to dry out if I'm not attentive. In addition, the newly emerging roots don't always react well to having moss or potting media placed on top of them. Finicky is probably a good choice of words.
Growing and blooming C. lancifolium isn't terribly difficult by slipper orchid standards. This appears to be a species that prefers heavy shade and struggles if the light is too bright. I assume the wide leaves are an adaptation to life in the shade. This species also seems to really like moisture. When the temperatures are warm, I water frequently and heavily. Even in cooler temperatures, I don't let this species get as crispy as I might do for some of my other Cymbidiums. As far as temperatures go, it's pretty adaptable. For most of the time I've grown it, the plant has stayed indoors year round growing under LED lights with some seasonal variation in temperatures but essentially what I call typical household temps.
This past year I decided to experiment since I have 2 divisions. One stayed indoors year round like normal, the other spent the winter in a greenhouse with temps dropping to near freezing and then stayed outside in the summer extreme heat. Both plants are happy. I will note that I did keep the outdoor plant much drier in winter when the temperatures were cold. One interesting observation is that the plant which stayed in the greenhouse over winter and endured near freezing temperatures also bloomed much earlier than this division which stays indoors year round. That outdoor plant bloomed back in the spring. If memory serves me correctly, this species typically blooms in late summer or early fall for me otherwise.
The flowers are lightly fragrant, however the fragrance isn't particularly noteworthy. It's a bit hard to describe the scent in a way that would make sense to anyone who's never smelled the flowers. Initially it comes across as a chemical-like sweetness, reminds me of some of the chemicals that were in my childhood chemistry set. However, after a moment, the smell develops a fruitiness that's vaguely like strawberry candy. Weird, rough start, pleasant finish.
Last I checked, this is species is placed in section Jensoa aka Chinese Cymbidiums. It's one of a small number of wide leafed Cymbidium species.
Cymbidium lancifolium is a climber and that makes repotting a bit of a challenge. Also, it's sometimes tough to nurture the new roots that pop out well above the potting mix and tend to dry out if I'm not attentive. In addition, the newly emerging roots don't always react well to having moss or potting media placed on top of them. Finicky is probably a good choice of words.
Growing and blooming C. lancifolium isn't terribly difficult by slipper orchid standards. This appears to be a species that prefers heavy shade and struggles if the light is too bright. I assume the wide leaves are an adaptation to life in the shade. This species also seems to really like moisture. When the temperatures are warm, I water frequently and heavily. Even in cooler temperatures, I don't let this species get as crispy as I might do for some of my other Cymbidiums. As far as temperatures go, it's pretty adaptable. For most of the time I've grown it, the plant has stayed indoors year round growing under LED lights with some seasonal variation in temperatures but essentially what I call typical household temps.
This past year I decided to experiment since I have 2 divisions. One stayed indoors year round like normal, the other spent the winter in a greenhouse with temps dropping to near freezing and then stayed outside in the summer extreme heat. Both plants are happy. I will note that I did keep the outdoor plant much drier in winter when the temperatures were cold. One interesting observation is that the plant which stayed in the greenhouse over winter and endured near freezing temperatures also bloomed much earlier than this division which stays indoors year round. That outdoor plant bloomed back in the spring. If memory serves me correctly, this species typically blooms in late summer or early fall for me otherwise.
The flowers are lightly fragrant, however the fragrance isn't particularly noteworthy. It's a bit hard to describe the scent in a way that would make sense to anyone who's never smelled the flowers. Initially it comes across as a chemical-like sweetness, reminds me of some of the chemicals that were in my childhood chemistry set. However, after a moment, the smell develops a fruitiness that's vaguely like strawberry candy. Weird, rough start, pleasant finish.
