Brassavola subulifolia

[smweaver]

One day I think I might have a shot at getting this plant to grow into a good-sized specimen. This year it's produced six spikes (two of which are just starting to elongate from the two newest growths and are not visible in the pictures); there are twenty-two flowers on the four spikes that are currently blooming. A very nice scent is produced in the evening. The plant itself is something of a beast in comparison to its little cousin, Brassavola nodosa. The longest leaf on this one is just under sixteen inches, and the plant's around thirty inches wide at its widest point (my photo of the plant doesn't look all that artistic since I decided to use the garage floor as a backdrop). Very easy to grow and bloom.

Steve

[cb977]

A beauty!

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Beautiful flowers on healthy-looking plant.

[isurus79]

Great looking flowers! If you want to speed up the specimen size plant thing, pinch off a few of the new growths that come along. Your plant should throw 2 or 3 new ones for each one you pinch off. Just an old trick Ive used in the past, but not for the faint of heart!

[Ross]

Originally Posted by smweaver

Very easy to grow and bloom.

Steve

If you have the space I don't even have a garage! Nice flowers, but I'll stick with minis for now. Seriously, Steve, thanks for sharing. That's one great plant.

[smweaver]

Pinch off some of the new growths?! Yikes! Steve, maybe that's an operation I'll consider undertaking after a few glasses of wine. Someone in the past also gave me the same bit of advice regarding the benefit of pinching out new growths on cymbidiums in order to help promote specimen-sized plants, and I still start sweating uncomfortably every time I think about doing that.

And yes, Ross, you're right: only get this one if you've got the space. I've tried tying those long growths upright in the past since the plant just takes up a lot of lateral real estate in my sunroom. But the poor thing just looked wretched afterwards (not to mention rather ridiculous).

[A G]

Looks great! Are the flowers smaller than B. nodosas?

[smweaver]

Yes, Anders, B. subulifolia's flowers are smaller than those of B. nodosa. They are, however, usually produced in greater numbers per spike. At least that is what I've read (I don't grow B. nodosa, so can't confirm this myself).

Steve

[A G]

Thanks for the answer Steve! From your pictures I can say that you are probably right!

I have a B. nodosa mounted which is just about to flower now, and it has 3 spikes, 1 still very small. The other 2 spikes have 2 and 1 bud. I have seen 4 at the most.