Giant wardii opening !!

[DrLeslieEe]

Here’s a gigantic wardii just opening… already 13 cm NS! From Japan 3 years ago that came together with my red venustums I bought at the Tokyo Dome show.

I may name him ‘Dragon Fly’ lol.

 

[eds]

Wow!

 

[Guldal]

Splendid!

 

[GuRu]

Great flower and extraordinary size. Congrats, Leslie !

 

[KZPaph]

Here’s a gigantic wardii just opening… already 13 cm NS! From Japan 3 years ago that came together with my red venustums I bought at the Tokyo Dome show.

I may name him ‘Dragon Fly’ lol.

View attachment 37120

Wow! Beautiful! . They challenging to grow? This is a cool growing species right? I have a venustum which seems to be growing ok in our heat. Congratulations on blooming your wardii

 

[DrLeslieEe]

I grow them in my ‘warm’ section but they do get winter T of 15/16C at nights occasionally. They can’t grow in Bangkok so I assume no to Brunei?

Venustums also best in intermediate temperatures and cooler 17/18C nights in winter to stay healthy. I’m curious how yours fare there in your conditions. In Taiwan they seem to do ok in Taipei at sea level so who knows?!

 

[littlefrog]

I grow them quite well (wardii and venustum) in what I'd call 'moderate' conditions. Down to about 60-65F at night, maybe 10F warmer with all the lights on. Nothing special, just mixed in with everything else. I think the newer generations are a lot easier than the original ones, although I have a wild collected one (from the 70's maybe? not sure how old it is but old...) that is probably my easiest one. Of course to have survived that long it probably had the right genetics to start with.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

I grow them quite well (wardii and venustum) in what I'd call 'moderate' conditions. Down to about 60-65F at night, maybe 10F warmer with all the lights on. Nothing special, just mixed in with everything else. I think the newer generations are a lot easier than the original ones, although I have a wild collected one (from the 70's maybe? not sure how old it is but old...) that is probably my easiest one. Of course to have survived that long it probably had the right genetics to start with.

Your wardiis are fantastic esp that FCC! Mine is aspiring to that and I’m sure will be compared to at judging this weekend.

Are they in bloom/bud now too?

 

[KZPaph]

I grow them in my ‘warm’ section but they do get winter T of 15/16C at nights occasionally. They can’t grow in Bangkok so I assume no to Brunei?

Venustums also best in intermediate temperatures and cooler 17/18C nights in winter to stay healthy. I’m curious how yours fare there in your conditions. In Taiwan they seem to do ok in Taipei at sea level so who knows?!

I see...at that temp range would definitely be challenging to grow them here especially with the outdoor heat. Only way would be to grow them indoors airconditioned and temperature controlled.

I've seen some growers in Thailand growing them before but most are in temperature controlled greenhouses/cool rooms definitely not outdoors.

My venustums are growing well suprisingly yet to produce any blooms though but healthy. If they can grow in Taipei at sea levels lets just hope they can tolerate our heat

 

[littlefrog]

Your wardiis are fantastic esp that FCC! Mine is aspiring to that and I’m sure will be compared to at judging this weekend.

Are they in bloom/bud now too?

Unfortunately I think the FCC succumbed to the curse of AOS awards. It was down to one very tiny growth last time I checked. But my second best one rewarded me with a host of compots... I have one or two of my own open, and a couple dozen that I got from Sam Tsui to resell at shows that are open. Most of those are the alba (albovirides?) type.

I probably will hold off on making more wardii seed pods. But I'm still looking for an alba appletonianum to remake Debbie Robinson, one of the first crosses I ever made (with the typical forms). Probably wouldn't turn out alba but that is what the F2 is for if I live long enough. Check out the dates on the pictures... I'm getting old.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Sorry to hear of your FCC’s MIA. I hope it somehow survived.

Unfortunately I think the FCC succumbed to the curse of AOS awards. It was down to one very tiny growth last time I checked. But my second best one rewarded me with a host of compots... I have one or two of my own open, and a couple dozen that I got from Sam Tsui to resell at shows that are open. Most of those are the alba (albovirides?) type.

I probably will hold off on making more wardii seed pods. But I'm still looking for an alba appletonianum to remake Debbie Robinson, one of the first crosses I ever made (with the typical forms). Probably wouldn't turn out alba but that is what the F2 is for if I live long enough. Check out the dates on the pictures... I'm getting old.
View attachment 37140View attachment 37141

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Today the flower stretched to just almost 14 cm:

 

[David B]

So a few characteristics of note here. Usually on wardii there is a darkish brown suffusion on the petals and pouch that unfortunately does not cover the entire petal surface creating a pleasing but seldom uniform backdrop for the dark irregular spots. On the pouch this chocolate suffusion usually is more pronounced on the forward upper portion. Here the apple green background is somewhat darker above the midline. My observance is that the irregular chocolate markings are distributed somewhat evenly across the surface of both the petals and pouch. This is pleasing and a noteworthy presentation. Also of good fortune is that the two curved vertical white areas on the dorsal are presented symmetrically. For years there has been a race to darken and expand the chocolate suffusion on wardii. This is an interesting alternative to that.

 

[BrucherT]

Here’s a gigantic wardii just opening… already 13 cm NS! From Japan 3 years ago that came together with my red venustums I bought at the Tokyo Dome show.

I may name him ‘Dragon Fly’ lol.

View attachment 37120

Really beautiful and distinctive.

 

[BrucherT]

Today the flower stretched to just almost 14 cm:

View attachment 37151

That labellum is just spellbinding.

 

[BrucherT]

So a few characteristics of note here. Usually on wardii there is a darkish brown suffusion on the petals and pouch that unfortunately does not cover the entire petal surface creating a pleasing but seldom uniform backdrop for the dark irregular spots. On the pouch this chocolate suffusion usually is more pronounced on the forward upper portion. Here the apple green background is somewhat darker above the midline. My observance is that the irregular chocolate markings are distributed somewhat evenly across the surface of both the petals and pouch. This is pleasing and a noteworthy presentation. Also of good fortune is that the two curved vertical white areas on the dorsal are presented symmetrically. For years there has been a race to darken and expand the chocolate suffusion on wardii. This is an interesting alternative to that.

amen, I do enjoy those mahogany wardii as well though.

 

[richgarrison]

Today the flower stretched to just almost 14 cm:

View attachment 37151

That is just really nice…. Spotting, color scheme, form. Really nice

Thanx for sharing!