The typical Cattleya maxima is a stately plant, with growths (pseudobulbs + leaves) 24-30 inches (60-76 cm), with large flowers. Typical color is lavender, there are also coerulea and semialba forms. It's definitely a warm grower, resenting night temperatures below about 55 deg F (13 deg C).
Less common, there is also a highland form that tolerates winter nights close to freezing, 40 deg F (4 deg C) pretty frequently. It grows nicely in my back yard and has done so for about 5 years. The plant is about half the size of the lowland form- mature plant has growths in the 13-17 inch (33-43 cm) range. Flowers are smaller, but color is more intense. Flowers open almost white, the pigment develops over 2-3 days. I don't think that there are color forms other than the tipo, at least not that I have seen. Tough, not a hothouse flower
For scale, it is in a 7 inch (17 cm) basket.
Cattleya maxima - highland form
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