Cattleya maxima award

[littlefrog]

Got this awarded a couple days ago. Unfortunately I was taking it to a show two weekends ago and my car broke down, so it got a little damaged. Evidently they would have scored it quite a bit higher. Oh well. Neat thing about this one is that the flowers open white with some pink veins in the lip, and darken to that hot pink color over a period of a week or so.

Actually had two spikes, the second had maybe 5 flowers on it. Each flower is a bit smaller than my hand. Although I have no particular documentation confirming it, this is evidently the 'lowland' form of C. maxima, but with a color more approaching what might be found in the 'highland form'. I have no idea, I just grow it.

Cattleya maxima 'Littlefrog Princess' HCC/AOS


Supposedly this is synonymous with Guaranthe maxima now, although evidently it is all changing back to cattleya soon. I hope it does.

[Tindomul]

Gorgeous!! Good enough to eat. If I had gotten stuck in the snow with that orchid, I don't know if it would have made it. All kidding aside, CONGRATULATIONS! Very nice work growing that one!

[cb977]

Congratulations Rob!

What a lovely plant...great job!

[isurus79]

Awesome! Now if I could only get mine to bloom.....

[littlefrog]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Awesome! Now if I could only get mine to bloom.....

I don't know if this is the trick or not, but the plant itself looks like hell. It gets way too much light in the summer and I leave it out in the cold until almost first frost (sometimes later). It seems to bloom well, and the blooming has been better over each of the last three years. I don't know if you can replicate that in Hawaii.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by littlefrog

I don't know if this is the trick or not, but the plant itself looks like hell. It gets way too much light in the summer and I leave it out in the cold until almost first frost (sometimes later). It seems to bloom well, and the blooming has been better over each of the last three years. I don't know if you can replicate that in Hawaii.

Ive been doing to my maximas what I do to my purpuratas to get them to bloom. Withhold water until they spike! I think thats the closest can get to winter abuse for my plants. Ill let you know if it works on maximas!

[Aceetobe]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Ive been doing to my maximas what I do to my purpuratas to get them to bloom. Withhold water until they spike! I think thats the closest can get to winter abuse for my plants. Ill let you know if it works on maximas!

Also, there are highland and lowland maximas. For Hawaii, I would try to find a supplier with a pure lowland variety.

What size are your bulbs on the maxima? the lowland ones have bulbs up to 28"

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Aceetobe

Also, there are highland and lowland maximas. For Hawaii, I would try to find a supplier with a pure lowland variety.

What size are your bulbs on the maxima? the lowland ones have bulbs up to 28"

I have the short variety with very red bulbs and leaves (highland variety I think). Here is a link to my gallery with this one blooming:
I also have 2 coeruleas, one of which now has its first sheath, so it may be too young to bloom or maybe not.

[dgenovese1]

Hi Rob,

Congrats on your HCC! Way to go.

I love the coloration on this beauty. I have a small maxima in my collection, and I can only hope that it will be this beautiful when it grows up.

[Royal]

Congrats Rob! That's a great looking display. I would have loved to see it in person.