Cattleya maxima - highland form

[Roberta]

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.

[DirtyCoconuts]

awesome...they look like wise flowers

[Jmoney]

fantastic and wonderfully bloomed!

[PeterNL]

Very nice!!
The highland form exists also in semi albas and coeruleas. These are also more intens colored.
Funny small plants, with big flowers.
I so love this C. maxima
Great pics! and well grown

[sam1147]

Awesome bloom.

[smweaver]

Beautiful blooms, and I love the colors. But I really admire all of those roots. Are you sure those aren't the remnants of a vanda hybrid that may have been previously planted in that basket?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by smweaver

Beautiful blooms, and I love the colors. But I really admire all of those roots. Are you sure those aren't the remnants of a vanda hybrid that may have been previously planted in that basket?

It IS a root machine. My Catts seem to be much happier in baskets with wild roots than confined to pots. So I just have to dance around them when I move through the yard.

[isurus79]

Beautiful! Looks like the flower is a bit darker than normal, even for the highland variety.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Beautiful! Looks like the flower is a bit darker than normal, even for the highland variety.

Thanks! Actually it's even a bit darker than the photo shows, to the eye, depending on the time of day. (and the color does continue to deepen as the flowers mature)