mrhappyrotter
Grand Chupacabra
I don't think this one has been registered, though I have seen photos of other cultivars online in the past year and change, so I know I'm far from being the first person to bloom one of these. I got it from Sunset Valley Orchids last year.
The spike and flowers snuck up on me, I didn't realize it was in bloom until I noticed a flash of color sticking out from the foliage of all its neighbors. This one would have a better presentation if I had noticed it early enough to stake it up.
I'm really liking this one a lot. It's not as nice as other siblings I've seen photos of online, admittedly. I think the original breeding goal was for spots, but I'm not seeing a lot of evidence that panned out. However, I'm seeing lots of bright sunset colors, yellows, oranges, bronzes. I like the bronzy-orange color of these flowers, it's definitely distinct in my collection. I also really enjoy this flower shape.
Over the past few years, I've purchased numerous Guaricyclia Kyoguchi (Guarianthe aurantiaca × Encyclia incumbens) hybrids and seen many others in bloom (online and at shows). I have to say, this one is my favorite so far. I actually have been growing a G. Kyoguchi for many years, but as of yet, it hasn't flowered, so I'm enjoying hybrids of it for sure.
Of course one of the BIG draws of Kyoguchi and its hybrids is the fragrance. I'm glad to report that these flowers are nicely scented! It's that "honey" scent, as it's typically described, that pretty much all these types of hybrids seem to have, but this one's a little more fragrant than most and has just a hint of the aclandiae scent mixed in. I'd say I like this better than any I've smelled so far.
I haven't had this long enough to say I'm an expert at growing it. I kept nearly all my Cattleya alliance orchids indoors this past winter, growing in warm conditions, and this was no exception. I cut back a bit on watering in winter and let them dry out a bit between watering. This time of year, they're outdoors in the summer heat, so they get watered daily or close to it. It's been growing in fairly bright light, though it's in a shaded greenhouse this summer.
One thing to note about temperatures: The Guaricyclia Kyoguchi I mentioned earlier has always struggled in my care and never bloomed. Since I have a bunch of hybrids of Kyoguchi now, I decided to "experiment" with it and kept it in my greenhouse this winter where it experienced lows near freezing. I fully expected it to suffer or die in those conditions based on my assumption that the parent species are warm growing tropicals. Surprisingly, the Kyoguchi actually thrived in those cold conditions. The plant continued growing and developed new roots all through the winter and produced the healthiest new bulb it's ever produced in my care. All this to say that once these Kyoguchi hybrids get large enough to divide, I will probably begin experimenting with them to see if they are as cold tolerant (or maybe even cold appreciative) as Kyoguchi 'Sano' seems to be.
The spike and flowers snuck up on me, I didn't realize it was in bloom until I noticed a flash of color sticking out from the foliage of all its neighbors. This one would have a better presentation if I had noticed it early enough to stake it up.
I'm really liking this one a lot. It's not as nice as other siblings I've seen photos of online, admittedly. I think the original breeding goal was for spots, but I'm not seeing a lot of evidence that panned out. However, I'm seeing lots of bright sunset colors, yellows, oranges, bronzes. I like the bronzy-orange color of these flowers, it's definitely distinct in my collection. I also really enjoy this flower shape.
Over the past few years, I've purchased numerous Guaricyclia Kyoguchi (Guarianthe aurantiaca × Encyclia incumbens) hybrids and seen many others in bloom (online and at shows). I have to say, this one is my favorite so far. I actually have been growing a G. Kyoguchi for many years, but as of yet, it hasn't flowered, so I'm enjoying hybrids of it for sure.
Of course one of the BIG draws of Kyoguchi and its hybrids is the fragrance. I'm glad to report that these flowers are nicely scented! It's that "honey" scent, as it's typically described, that pretty much all these types of hybrids seem to have, but this one's a little more fragrant than most and has just a hint of the aclandiae scent mixed in. I'd say I like this better than any I've smelled so far.
I haven't had this long enough to say I'm an expert at growing it. I kept nearly all my Cattleya alliance orchids indoors this past winter, growing in warm conditions, and this was no exception. I cut back a bit on watering in winter and let them dry out a bit between watering. This time of year, they're outdoors in the summer heat, so they get watered daily or close to it. It's been growing in fairly bright light, though it's in a shaded greenhouse this summer.
One thing to note about temperatures: The Guaricyclia Kyoguchi I mentioned earlier has always struggled in my care and never bloomed. Since I have a bunch of hybrids of Kyoguchi now, I decided to "experiment" with it and kept it in my greenhouse this winter where it experienced lows near freezing. I fully expected it to suffer or die in those conditions based on my assumption that the parent species are warm growing tropicals. Surprisingly, the Kyoguchi actually thrived in those cold conditions. The plant continued growing and developed new roots all through the winter and produced the healthiest new bulb it's ever produced in my care. All this to say that once these Kyoguchi hybrids get large enough to divide, I will probably begin experimenting with them to see if they are as cold tolerant (or maybe even cold appreciative) as Kyoguchi 'Sano' seems to be.
