Description
Impossible to find, this is the first Cattleya I ever owned and still among my favorites. Offered by Stewart Orchids back in the day. Blooms on every growth, which is twice a year, with 5 – 7 wonderfully scented 5” flowers per stem held high with no staking. Very nice growth habit, stays in the pot, break multiple leads easily, the perfect plant. These are blooming size plants well-established in 5″ or 6″ pots grown from some plants I got from Stewart Orchids about 15 years ago.
Jeff Tyler –
I worked at Stewart’s for six years right out of college (‘75-‘81) and I remember when we started selling this. I still live in the LA area and grow it outside under 55% shade cloth with the cymbidiums (down into the 40s at night in our winters, occasional 30s). I had a plant in bloom over the kitchen sink (north-facing window) and the flowers lasted for 6 weeks one time. My buddy and I have a “top-10” list of “no-brainer” orchids that you almost have to try to kill, and this one is on it (and I eventually killed my first one, but have replaced it). Wonderful fragrance. Blooms in the fall outside for me, but might bloom more often with winter heat (55F at night). The Laelia anceps parent gives it that relative “cold tolerance” compared to “typical” cattleyas. Highly recommended.
David Roberts (verified owner) –
My favorite orchid of all time. I received a division of the mother plant from Ernest Hetherington himself back in 1988. Sadly I
Lost it in my divorce and have been looking for a replacement ever since.