Clowesia Jumbo Grace 'Alba'

[mopwr]

I've been growing this one from a single bulb division since early this year. When it bought it from Diamond Orchids, it had one new growth, but about a week or two after I got it, it popped another one. Initially, I wasn't sure if I nailed the culture on it as it seemed a bit more finicky that my other catasetum types and it seems, based purely on my observations, that it liked to dry out a bit more and get a tiny bit less fertilizer than the other types.

That said, I must've done something right as it's currently flower 32 flowers on three spikes from one bulb and the other the bulb has two more spikes now pushing.

Tangent: When I bought this, I thought it would be particularly cool to have this pure white flower next to my 'SVO Black Pearl'... And with a bit of luck, I may get that opportunity as one of my black pearls should be popping buds this week. Admittedly, at the time, I didn't know that Fdk. After Dark was so huge, so the scale may make getting a photo of the two in bloom side-by-side a bit more difficult, ha.

[isurus79]

Beautiful and great growing! I love that one spike is not quite as pendant as usual. It seems to hang above the cascading spike. Too cool! I'm sure you're loving the scent as well.

[mopwr]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Beautiful and great growing! I love that one spike is not quite as pendant as usual. It seems to hang above the cascading spike. Too cool! I'm sure you're loving the scent as well.

Thanks! Yeah, I can't wait to see what this little guy will look like next year if the trend on growths continues (2-3 per p-bulb) - it should be a good specimen before long.

Regarding the smell, I really like it - to me it's like honeysuckle with cinnamon, but everyone is different. My wife smells what I smell from it, but also she picks on some sort of musky smell that I don't... which she isn't fond of, ha - oh well, can't win em all.

[mopwr]

2023 Update: This variety is, um, very vigorous... It put out three growths last year, two from one bulb and one from the other. It really fought against dormancy and only full went dormant at the start of January.

That said, this year it produced 11 spikes... It would have been 12, but one got aborted before it started pushing. So just about 4 spikes per bulb, which is crazy... As you can see fromt the photos, the spikes start at the base and are fairly high up on the bulbs. I didn't bother counting all of the flowers yet, as I've been busy and I don't have the patience, maybe I'll do that this weekend.

I also uploaded a photo next to one of my black pearls, I like the juxtaposition of having an alba next to a black flower... And for some reason, these two plants always bloom at the exact same time.

[isurus79]

Beautiful! I bet it fills the room with that amazing scent.

Looks like the bulbs are more shriveled this year than last year when it bloomed, so you might consider giving this one a drink after the blooms have faded.

[DirtyCoconuts]

awesome plant