Blue orchid?

[elissa]

Hello everyone. I don't know anything about orchids, but my 83-year-old father has become an orchid lover and has several. Last year at a farmers' market he saw an orchid vendor who had an orchid that my father said was actually blue, not purple. He never forgot it, and I would love to buy him one for Christmas, if I can find one. The only "blue orchids" I see on the Internet actually look purple. Does anyone know of a truly blue orchid, and where I can order one?

Many thanks.

[Ross]

Dorothy usually chimes in here, but, yes there are some blue Phals. They are clones of Phal violacea. That is what you want to search for. For instance http://www.phals.net/violacea/04ph0002.jpg Just do some research on Phalenopsis violacea and you should come up with some vendors.

[elissa]

Thanks for the info--I'll check it out.

[Phalguy]

The primary hybrid : Dtps Kenneth Schubert can be also very blue....
Mine is the one on my avatar !

Phalguy

[elissa]

Thanks, Phalguy. It still looks purple to me, in your avatar. I wonder if a really blue one exists. I will look at the clones I can find.... Can you suggest a Web site that might have a selection of Phalaenopsis violacea Dtps Kenneth Schubert?

[kavanaru]

Check for Vanda coerulea and its hybrids. For me this is the closest to blue I've ever seen in Orchids. However, it will always depend on the clone and the growing conditions. I have seen come Vanda Easy Blue or Vanda Blue Magic which were very blue, but some were also quite purple.

Cattleya bowringiana is also well known for its blue clones. Some clones of its hybrid Cattleya Portia are suposed to be quite blue (I have to admit I know only the lila form)

[elissa]

Thanks, Kavanaru!

[quiltergal]

I bought this one from Peter Lin at Big Leaf Orchids. It's a Kenneth Schubert x violacea. Mine hasn't bloomed yet but I'm hoping it's as blue as the picture.

Reserved - Big Leaf Orchids

[mrobert]

I'm surprised no one has chime in with: dendrobium victoria-reginae (alt. dendrobium victoriae-reginae).

[chulaorchids]

There are several that claim to be blue, but they are all like you say, looking lilac or light purple or even dark purple. There are no bright or dark "blue" orchids that I know of. If you see the variatal name "Werkhauserii" that's about as "blue" as it's gonna get.

There are some great floral sprays, used best on white flowers, that you could "doctor" one up for him that's really blue. You just have to make sure you are there the next time it blooms, lol.