Cymbid in bloom, radical petal color change, cream to red?!?!?

[KTorchid]

Hi guys,

I've recently gotten my first cymbidium a few weeks ago and it was and still is in bloom. The petals are greenish-cream colored, but ONE of the flowers that has been open the whole time has changed to a completely different color. It was once the green-cream color like the rest but within the last day or two the lips on it have turned red. I am very perplexed. it has only happened to one flower, but I have no idea why. Any explanations???

(First Picture is of the weird red one, the second is what color it was to begin with and what all other blooms look like)

[ronaldhanko]

They do this when they are going by - sometimes because they been pollinated, sometimes for no discernible reason.

[Grandma M]

It's blushing

Marilyn

[KTorchid]

so the flower that had turned completely red is dying and shriveling up, does this mean it was pollinated? Or could that just happen randomly too?

[Rosiefuture]

I've observed that quite a lot of cymbidiums do this. The flowers take on a pinkish/red hue as they come to the end of their lives. It's quite normal, loads of mine do it.

This is a quote from another orchid site

"This is most often seen on cymbidium orchids, where the flowers have either become aged or have lost their pollen. The lips turn red and the flower dies. "

I cross pollenated some of my Cyms last year and as soon as I did the blooms turned pinkish/red and died to produce the seed pod.

Marion

[KTorchid]

thanks so much for all your help!

[Cym Ladye]

KTOrchid,

It is apparent from your photo that the pollen cap and the two pollinia are missing from your flower with the red lip. I suspect they were carried off by an insect or accidently brushed off by some other method. Whether or not the flower was actually pollinated only time will tell, as you will see a swelling of the ovary below the flower if it was. If not, the flower eventually will just fall off.

CL