What is your favorite orchid for fragrance

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

My brassavola Little Stars 'Yasuji Takaeki' is slightly fragrant during the day as well, especially in the morning or on an overcast day. The blooms last nearly three months, likely as our home is cool. It blooms during the winter for me. I bought a nodosa as it is rumored to bloom in the summer.

Do it bloom only once a year? I thought they are free flowering, guess not. but at least they last for so long for you.
I think mine lasted about two months or less.

The other larger variety lasted barely one month, but it was so pretty and smelled soooooo good!

I'm afraid both are not doing so well for me as all the new leaves are smaller than they should.
I'm giving them the most light (direct sun through glass half day) I can possibly provide, so I don't know why.

How much light do you give to yours?

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

My brassavola Little Stars 'Yasuji Takaeki' is slightly fragrant during the day as well, especially in the morning or on an overcast day. The blooms last nearly three months, likely as our home is cool. It blooms during the winter for me. I bought a nodosa as it is rumored to bloom in the summer.

Little stars sounds interesting. I would love more winter bloomers.

[RosieC]

I have one... but it doesn't do well. It's mounted, not sure if it's getting too dry. It was starting new growths late last year but they all aborted as really small growths. Roots start growing but always stop really short.

[Leafmite]

I grow mine bare root on cork, hanging about a foot from South (and slightly west) facing double doors. I water by pouring water over the mount and I fertilize (MSU formula) only in the spring and summer, about once a week (I had trouble with black rot so I add powdered milk to the water when I fertilize... goofy but haven't had trouble since). I add a handful of Ironite to the watering pail in the spring (it slowly dissolves over the summer) and Epsom salts now and then. Outside, Little Stars gets almost full sun and the leaves turn red and blotchy. I probably should water it more but it survives somehow and blooms. Hope this helps.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Aerangis fastuosa and Brassavola cucculata.

The fragrance on both of these are so strong, you can smell them 20' - 30' away.

Both are night fragrant.

If you're talking about interesting fragrance that isn't overpowering - Masdevallia caudata. Smells like artificial raspberry sweetener. Gotta hold it up to your nose for the smell.

Masdevallia glandulosa is a close second in the fragrant Pleurothallid department.

Honorable mention goes to Pleurothallis pterophora for smelling like ripe bananas.

Most Pleuros are either odorless or smell like a certain type of fungus/raw potatoes.

Zygopetalum mackayi has a wonderful perfume-like fragrance that is strong, but does not fill up a whole room.

[gnathaniel]

Some favorites off the top of my head:

Den. lichenastrum--odd smell, hits my nose like 'wet dog' but quickly resolves to 'orange peel'; almost addictive, I really like smelling it

Den. unicum--also weird but nice, sort of 'waxy tangerine'

Bulb. claptonense (aka one var. of lobbii)--one of the nicest-smelling Bulbos IMO (yes, there are many that smell good!), kind of fruity/sugary, just really good

Brassavola cucullata--not at all like nodosa, hard to describe but strong and very interesting

Euchile (Encyclia) citrina--smells like roses and lemons all at once, really fantastic

Paph. delenatii--interestingly smells a lot like E. citrina, just heavier on the 'rose' with 'lemon' undertones

Den. Kokomo--a mostly moniliforme hybrid, my clone smells like vanilla custard, very pleasant to have in the room while blooming

Encyvola Gordon Vickers (B. nodosa x E. tampensis)--I've heard some clones aren't fragrant at all, but mine smells like nodosa at night and tampensis during the day; not super-showy but hard to dislike an orchid that's pleasantly fragrant 24/7 for 3-5 weeks...

I also love purpurata and some of the other 'spicy'-smelling Catts, in fact pretty much any orchid that smells like cinnamon/cloves/etc. is fantastic in my book!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Speaking of orchids that have a rosy smell...

Vanda pumila this one really stands out amongst the fragrant Vandas.

[The Orchid Boy]

I absolutely love the blooms and droopy habit of Brassavola cucculata. I know lots of people grow it mounted. How else can it be grown so it will still show off the best. Basket? Some other way so it won't dry out too fast? I can't handle too many mounted orchids.

[WhiteRabbit]

Also speaking of rose-like fragrance - I have a noid, that is very likely Bc Little Mermaid (Marmaid ?) - has a lovely rose fragrance - strong enough that you can smell it from a short distance away, but not over-powering at all.

[Houston]

Den. anonsmum my alltime favorite!

Den. anosmum and Den. parishii - smells like a mix of berries, I find it hard to stop smelling!

SLC. Smile Aagain 'Hawaii' - It smells like sunscreen and plumbs. I just found one at the Houston Orchid Society show from Camela Orchids, unfortunately it was a show plant only