Paphiopedilum ‘Crouching Tiger’ with two buds

[Weaver]

I received this from Lehua in Jan (2024); it was very healthy when it arrived and has seriously bulked up in the last 11 months. Ive got two buds showing. Pretty excited, but I am also wondering what everyone thinks about the plant being able to grow two spikes given its current size? I put an 18” ruler in the first pic for comparison…I would say prbly a 22-24” ls?

 

[Weaver]

Whoops meant to include a root pic.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

As long as it's happy and healthy, and as best I can tell from a brief glance of your photos it appears to be, I personally wouldn't have any concern about letting it bloom out with 2 spikes.

To make sure we're on the same page with terminology, typically I use the term "spike" to describe the whole flowering structure and "buds" to describe the non-opened flowers. I am assuming you're asking about 2 spikes, not 2 buds, correct?

Also, if the tag says Paphiopedilum ‘Crouching Tiger‘, I would update that to be a little more accurate by removing the quote marks around Crouching Tiger since CT is the hybrid name, not a clonal name.

Overall, this is one of my very favorite multifloral Paph hybrids. The best of them look remarkably similar to an extra large Paph. philippinense with just the right amount of influence from kolopakingii in the petals and flower count, as well as a bit of a size and color boost from rothschildianum. Good luck! I hope you post photos when it blooms!

 

[Weaver]

As long as it's happy and healthy, and as best I can tell from a brief glance of your photos it appears to be, I personally wouldn't have any concern about letting it bloom out with 2 spikes.

To make sure we're on the same page with terminology, typically I use the term "spike" to describe the whole flowering structure and "buds" to describe the non-opened flowers. I am assuming you're asking about 2 spikes, not 2 buds, correct?

Also, if the tag says Paphiopedilum ‘Crouching Tiger‘, I would update that to be a little more accurate by removing the quote marks around Crouching Tiger since CT is the hybrid name, not a clonal name.

Overall, this is one of my very favorite multifloral Paph hybrids. The best of them look remarkably similar to an extra large Paph. philippinense with just the right amount of influence from kolopakingii in the petals and flower count, as well as a bit of a size and color boost from rothschildianum. Good luck! I hope you post photos when it blooms!

Thanks so much for both the encouraging words and the extra info! I have always wondered about the ‘ ‘: when to use them, when to not and that explains a lot that Ive observed in plant naming. And yes: two spikes (and, hopefully **more** than two buds!)

I am really looking forward to see CT in full bloom. I am very fond of phillippinense and their hydrids so . I will definitely post photos when (not going to say “if”!) it blooms. I also purchase Tempting Philip and Philip’s Song from Lehua at the same time as Crouching Tiger and they have both already bloomed for me. I am embarrassed to admit just how long it took me to understand their names. At first I was all “who the heck is Philip?”

Thanks again, I really appreciate your explanatory post.

 

[Ozpaph]

big healthy plant. show us the flowers when it debuts