Laelia milleri x briegeri

[JungleJo]

Hoffmannseggella or Laelia or Cattleya or whatever you like to call it. A simple cross between milleri and briegeri.

They are both supposed to flower in spring or even late spring and are supposedly "full sun" Laelias. It's in the middle of the winter here and the plant has not received any direct sun the last two or actually more like three months. It is getting a little sun only now as peak darkness was about 1 1/2 months ago. It is placed in a fairly protected spot, with little rain hitting it and only few hours of direct sun in the summer. Basically no sun in the winter for 3 months and this growth grew, matured and flowered in about that time.

This is yet another plant showing me that rupiculous Laelias don't need to be blasted with sun (I know that light is a different matter). I've have seen plants being happy with less than expected light levels and especially with less direct sunlight. I know many of them grow exposed and have all purple leaves and so on, but I am getting more and more convinced that it is not necessary as I've seen enough evidence from my own collection. What matters though is to have a mature plant. I've often been sold small plants that simply were not adults. Blasting them with light or sun did little good. I used to have a small graveyard of toasted Laelias.

The flower is alright, but not spectacular. I keep it mainly as I struggle to find more pure rupicolous Laelia species. So I pick up any crosses as well.

More light is coming as spring is not far away anymore and it will do the plant good and probably make it flower with more blooms again, but my point is that it is doing pretty good without hardcore rupi conditions.