Is this Andean Fire ?

[Achamore]

Another ID conundrum. Bought this several years ago, no tag with it. Looks very like Andean Fire to my eye, but not certain. What would be the other candidates? It is Andean Fire then I think it must be a tetraploid, as the leaves are much bigger than the (definite) Andean Fire I have had 17+ years.

 

[Hien]

I don't know whether it is tetraploid or not, but if I have a plant with such exquisite flowers, I will divide it to a few divisions and entrust those divisions with a few of the local connoisseur orchid friends as an assurance of its existence in case something happens, you can always get a division of that division back from them.
I heard that professional orchid growers /breeders do that.

 

[abax]

Gorgeous. I'll take a division! Hien knows best. ;>)

 

[Achamore]

There are only 3 growths on this plant, the older, spent ones, and the one that has produced this gorgeous spike. I use the orchids in any case to make "flower essences", so virtually never sell off desirable specimens. Sorry..!

 

[ThienNgo Le]

I don't know whether it is tetraploid or not, but if I have a plant with such exquisite flowers, I will divide it to a few divisions and entrust those divisions with a few of the local connoisseur orchid friends as an assurance of its existence in case something happens, you can always get a division of that division back from them.
I heard that professional orchid growers /breeders do that.

Totally agree. I do that all the time, especially with my breeding plants.

 

[NYEric]

Yes, Andean fire. You can tell the diff between this and Mem. Dick Clements by the droopy shape of the petals, and the veins in the petals. Nice. Yay besseae hybrids! Thanks for sharing.

 

[eaborne]

I too believe it could be an Andean Fire.

 

[Achamore]

Many thanks. There are sooo many new besseae hybrids out there, I'm not up on all the latest. So this is very helpful.

 

[Hien]

flower essences ?
how do you make it?
and what for?

 

[Achamore]

We partially immerse the bloom in a bowl of water for some hours, to convey some of the bio-electric energy of the plant into the water. This is then preserved with brandy (50-50). I have a business that is in its 23rd year now, and I have been making orchid "essences" in this way for 20 years. We sell them all around the world. Our website is www.healingorchids.com I don't usually mention much about this activity here, as most orchid growers are not interested. I don't wish to distract, and I appreciate the information I can get here..!

 

[Hien]

We partially immerse the bloom in a bowl of water for some hours, to convey some of the bio-electric energy of the plant into the water. This is then preserved with brandy (50-50). I have a business that is in its 23rd year now, and I have been making orchid "essences" in this way for 20 years. We sell them all around the world. Our website is www.healingorchids.com I don't usually mention much about this activity here, as most orchid growers are not interested. I don't wish to distract, and I appreciate the information I can get here..!

it must be very similar to the work of water memory by Masaru Emoto

 

[Achamore]

Well, yes and no. I once hosted (circa 1999...?) Emoto in London, he gave a talk one evening, and then a small seminar that weekend. Interesting man. There is a connection between the two ideas of course. And he did freeze some flower essences for a few essence-makers, some years ago. Essences though made with orchids are probably a thousand times more potent than a bottle of water that has the word "thank you" on a piece of paper stuck to the bottle.

 

[Hien]

Well, yes and no. I once hosted (circa 1999...?) Emoto in London, he gave a talk one evening, and then a small seminar that weekend. Interesting man. There is a connection between the two ideas of course. And he did freeze some flower essences for a few essence-makers, some years ago. Essences though made with orchids are probably a thousand times more potent than a bottle of water that has the word "thank you" on a piece of paper stuck to the bottle.

have you seen this?http://natureproducts.net/Medicine/A_Biodiversity_Centre/orchid_flower_tea.html
I also wonder if one can cut the flower and immerse it in the water or must it be still attached to the plant since for some orchids rigid vertical growths and short flower stems make it impossible to get the flower to touch the water .

 

[NYEric]

Ahha, brandy, so its for fun then.

 

[Achamore]

have you seen this?http://natureproducts.net/Medicine/A_Biodiversity_Centre/orchid_flower_tea.html
I also wonder if one can cut the flower and immerse it in the water or must it be still attached to the plant since for some orchids rigid vertical growths and short flower stems make it impossible to get the flower to touch the water .

Hien, some types of orchid are tricky when it comes to making an "essence". But so far we have never, in 20 years, resorted to cutting the blooms. Nevertheless the cut-flower method is the one used by most flower essence makers, as that is the technique espoused by Dr. Edward Bach in the 1930's. But when you work with orchids, you of course want to avoid cutting the blooms if at all possible. And we found many years back that using non-cutting methods produces far better results.

 

[Achamore]

have you seen this?http://natureproducts.net/Medicine/A_Biodiversity_Centre/orchid_flower_tea.html

Hien, the traditional Chinese Medicine use of orchids is very different, fundamentally, to what we do. They use dried flowers, and other parts of the plant. So it is basically a bio-chemical approach. Our essence-making is designed to capture some of the C'hi of the plant and bloom. It does act on the meridians, so I sometimes describe it as "liquid acupuncture".