Male Catasetum flowers and pollinia triggering while growing outdoors

[greenhouseFrog]

First and foremost, please forgive me if I did not post this in the right place; I’m a new member and this is my first post, as well as my first Catasetum(Ctsm. ‘Doris’ Choice’).

I had watched a presentation by Fred Clarke in which at some point he mentioned that male flowers will senesce and fade after ejecting the pollinia.

There are Euglossa dilemma bees in my area, amongst other potential biological triggers(reptilian, mammalian, amphibian, and avian).

How concerned should I be about this? I just want a bloom show that will last longer than a few days—any input is appreciated!

[Roberta]

First, Welcome! You chose a good place to post, don't worry about it in general... Moderators can always move a thread. But this is perfect.

The male Catasetum flowers only last a couple of weeks at best... if nothing trigers their pollinia, they trigger spontaneously at that point no matter what you do or don't do. (When I bring them into the house to enjoy, I know they are done and ready to move back to their growing area when I start getting pollina stuck to the floor or other adjacent surfaces) So enjoy them while they're blooming and take photos. The "wildlife" will hopefully not be attracted to them. Or, once the flowers start to open, bring them into the house. (If you're going to move them, do it before they get fully open if you can, so that jostling them doesn't trigger them)

[estación seca]

Welcome!

[greenhouseFrog]

Thank you for your input!

In hindsight, I may need to acquire another Catasetum to hedge my bets…and I’m all for that idea! The plant I originally posted about is actually mounted in a tree—the thinking behind that decision was that it will(proper care granted)grow into something that may be divided.

Regardless of what transpires, I’ll be grateful for the leaves and new growths!