Paph emersonii

[P.K.Hansen]

I've only had this plant for five months, so I can't take credit for it flowering.
Compared to other pictures it has a very short stem, which I hope will change next time.
Really like it. Guess it might get a darker color when it gets older - only been open for a few days.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

NICE! It's such an exceptional species. Is your clone fragrant? It looks like a good solid flower, and not too floppy at all.

I'm finding that P. emersonii is probably the slowest growing paph in my collection. Thinking my plant was blooming sized, I left it outside last fall until temperatures approached freezing, and let it dry out quite a bit until spring. If you've only had your plant 5 months, I imagine you don't really know yet if yours is going to need special care to get it to bloom, correct?

 

[Hien]

very good shape, congratulation

 

[Guldal]

Congrats on its flowering, Per! Whence did you get it?

Kind regards, Jens

 

[P.K.Hansen]

Thanks. I bought it from Kopf Orchideen for a very reasonable price, but they don't have them anymore.

 

[Stone]

Beautiful flower, but the plant condition is concerning..

 

[Happypaphy7]

Beautiful flower, but the plant condition is concerning..

You read my mind!

 

[Happypaphy7]

NICE! It's such an exceptional species. Is your clone fragrant? It looks like a good solid flower, and not too floppy at all.

I'm finding that P. emersonii is probably the slowest growing paph in my collection. Thinking my plant was blooming sized, I left it outside last fall until temperatures approached freezing, and let it dry out quite a bit until spring. If you've only had your plant 5 months, I imagine you don't really know yet if yours is going to need special care to get it to bloom, correct?

As with anything, some plants grow with much more ease compared to others of the same species. Jane had a plant with multiple growths and flowers at a time.

 

[Stone]

Tanaka says that emersonii loves water like armeniacum. ''Never dry''. . Since I've been keeping my armeniacums moist to wet all year they are thriving with multiple stolons forming. So my couple of emersoniis will get the same. They also seem to respond to lots of oxygenated water via a mist nozzle (fogg it) held over them for 30 seconds or more at a time. I have noticed growers who use overhead misters to water get very nice growth when compared to straight from the hose or can.

 

[blondie]

Very nice this is one of my favs, I'm hoping my plant will do something soon.

 

[richgarrison]

Tanaka says that emersonii loves water like armeniacum. ''Never dry''. . Since I've been keeping my armeniacums moist to wet all year they are thriving with multiple stolons forming. So my couple of emersoniis will get the same. They also seem to respond to lots of oxygenated water via a mist nozzle (fogg it) held over them for 30 seconds or more at a time. I have noticed growers who use overhead misters to water get very nice growth when compared to straight from the hose or can.

I've noticed that hangianum actually responds the same way.... water every day through a foggit nozzle... but VERY slow growing...

 

[likespaphs]

one of my favorite species!
lovely!

 

[Ozpaph]

that's nice.
thanks all for the growing tips

 

[likespaphs]

is it fragrant?

 

[Happypaphy7]

Just my input regarding their habitat based on informations from the book Slipper Orchids in Vietnam and Holger Perner's article with photos.
Armeniacum grows with their roots buried in red crumbly soil with little organic matters. They are usually growing in the shade of short trees and shrubs and lots of other short vegetations around them.

Emersonii grows much more like typical rock dwelling paphs with little cover of moss and plant debris. Also, a few hundred meters lower than the elevation (around 2,000meters) where armeniacums occur.

I believe any paphs will grow their best when they have nearly constant/regular supply of water while the roots are sufficiently aerated.
Achieving this under pot culture is the most difficult part I think.

Tanaka says that emersonii loves water like armeniacum. ''Never dry''. . Since I've been keeping my armeniacums moist to wet all year they are thriving with multiple stolons forming. So my couple of emersoniis will get the same. They also seem to respond to lots of oxygenated water via a mist nozzle (fogg it) held over them for 30 seconds or more at a time. I have noticed growers who use overhead misters to water get very nice growth when compared to straight from the hose or can.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

I think I recall reading something from cxcanh (IIRC) and others where the habitat was described as having a distinct dry(er) season in the areas where emersonii and/or hangianum occur. I've based my culture of this species off that.

Like others have mentioned, I've found that P. hangianum and most of its hybrids love lots of water year round and bloom without seeming to need any extraordinary care. On the other hand, P. emersonii is often described as being a bitch to bloom, which is what lead me to attempt a cool, dry winter rest last year based on reading and hearing that suggestion from several sources. While I'm 100% certain I'm jinxing it by mentioning it, after subjecting my plant to a cold, dry winter rest, it's finally decided to initiate a spike this year. Obviously it could be entirely coincidence, but at least it didn't seem to do any harm to the plant. Perhaps it would have grown a bit faster or bloomed a bit earlier, but I suppose it's too late to know for sure now.

 

[P.K.Hansen]

is it fragrant?

Yes it actually is.

 

[Rockbend]

FWIW
While my P. emersonii bloom every year (occasionally twice in a year), they get the same treatment as others in the greenhouse.

However, one trick I learned with reluctant Parvis and some others is to give a 'fake rainy season' to get them to bloom: starting around January I double up on water for 2-3 months. Of course this depends on your potting mix but I have had no rotting problems with my chunky mix.

Works for me, might work for you.

 

[likespaphs]

Yes it actually is.

neat!

 

[BrucherT]

Hi Rockbend. Whereabouts are you that you do this? Is it cold in January there or warm? Like what season is it for you outdoors? Thank you!

FWIW
While my P. emersonii bloom every year (occasionally twice in a year), they get the same treatment as others in the greenhouse.

However, one trick I learned with reluctant Parvis and some others is to give a 'fake rainy season' to get them to bloom: starting around January I double up on water for 2-3 months. Of course this depends on your potting mix but I have had no rotting problems with my chunky mix.

Works for me, might work for you.

i Eockbend.