OK- NOW I get why people like Brassavola nodosa

[Keysguy]

Gardening in WM- I have a specimen Little Stars as well. Or HAD one. A couple of weeks ago I chopped it up into 13 divisions. 1 big one I repotted for me and 12 other smaller ones to sell on our show co-op table. Will probably do the nodosa next year.

It's 'OK' but honestly, except for the foliage being a bit longer than my nodosa, I can't tell them apart. I guess maybe the petals and sepals are more of a yellowy cream color than nodosa which it would have taken from subulifolia, but at a quick glance it's tough to tell them apart. Nice robust plant though and tough as nails just like nodosa.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Gardening in WM

I just want to report I have had the honor of smelling my Brassavola Little Stars

Seeing as some people have never smelt it I feel special that mine too finally decided to bless me with some flowers.

I can't say if it is the same as the pure nodosa but it's powerful. Fills a room to an overpowering level. Clearly noticeable in the morning when walking into a room that has been releasing its fragrance all night.

I'm glad it's an addition in my collection but it's not the best brassavola fragrance, that goes to my Brassavola cucullata but they grow very big eventually which is not easy to accommodate indoors. If I could have one that was the same size as the little stars but smelt like the B. cucullata we'd have a clear winner. Still I think the little stars is more powerful, both fill a room but I don't remember smelling the cucullata for several hours after in the morning like I do with the little stars. It's very nice too just more of a perfume smell on the little stars and the cucullata is more of a shampoo smell, ie not quite as intense. Anyway, a great addition to show a whole new way to distract us apart from seeing them flower and grow. I'm looking forward to seeing it flower regularly in future.

Sounds like this one needs a photo! I do wish that there were a way to share the fragrance of orchids... alas that is the private reward. (We can take vicarious pleasure in the view, but for the fragrance dimension, one just has to be there!) This is a great primary hybrid - the fragrance of B. nodosa and the "size control" and floriferousness of the B. subulifolia. Well done!

[DirtyCoconuts]

KG, very glad you held on to this one too!

nice reward...brass family orchids are very much my favorites, hardy and easy and they bloom freely and smell great....only thing that can bother them here is thrips.

i like little stars more than the species nodosa personally just because you get more flowers.

as a night gardener i can say that the really good smells come out after dark. some nights i have jasmin (grand duke), frangipani, various citrus flowers, various nodosa flowers and my neighbors ylang ylang all blowing around in the breeze...that is magical

[Keysguy]

DC
If you enjoy the evening fragrances I have 2 words for you.

Epidendrum ciliare

I hear Epi. nocturnum is equally fragrant but unfortunately, I don't have one of those. YET!

[DirtyCoconuts]

nice....added to the eventual list

[Paphluvr]

The only other plant I ever had in my collection that could rival this for fragrance was Epidendrum radiatum.

[MateoinLosAngeles]

I love Brassavolas in general. I always recommend it as a first orchid, especially grandiflora.