Do catts, Blc's etc...re-bloom off the same psuedobulb?

[magicatt]

Or do they have to grow a new one to bloom again? All my plants are young and have yet to bloom. I would really like to know....

[zxyqu]

Normally a single blooming occurs per bulb. However it wouldn't surprise me of some try to double up, as there is always a contradiction to dogma.

[tucker85]

Once a cattleya has bloomed, it won't bloom from that psuedobulb again. But the old psuedobulb does serve a purpose. As part of the plant it performs photosynthesis and stores water, nutrients and energy. A cattleya with lots of psuedobulbs will usually develop multiple leads and therefore more new psuedobulbs that can bloom. That will usually mean larger and more abundant flowers.

[magicatt]

Oh thank you both, I didn't know. I bought all my catts as seedlings two to three years from blooming so I'm still waiting. At least now I know what to expect from the plants. Thank you.

[PaphMadMan]

In general, it is true that typical Cattleya hybrids do not rebloom from the same pseudobulb, but... There are Cattleya alliance species that do, and sometimes their hybrids can too.

One example... Epidendrum pseudepidendrum sporadically reblooms from old spikes for as long as the spike stays green, and Epicattleya Rene Marques (Epidendrum pseudepidendrum x Cattleya Claesiana), a very commonly seen hybrid, can also rebloom from persistant spikes. I'm sure it is not the only possible example.