How big does C. Bactia 'Grape Wax' Get?

[Cattleya17]

How tall does this plant get Ive heard reports of 4 feet is this true? if so that's Ok i just need to prepare myself for that. i find this plant stunningly Beautiful! IS anyone Growing this right now? Can you include pics of growth and blooming habits?

[FairyInTheFlowers]

FOUR FEET! I saw a picture on Google of a 5'4" girl standing beside a C. guttata, and she was the same height as it!

[silken]

I found this link on Orchidworks with a photo of one in bloom. The grower says it gets 2 ft tall and is one of his larger plants. I don't know much about it but if it has another smaller parent besides C. guttata, it maybe stays a smaller size. Hope that helps.

C Bactia 'Grape Wax' -

[smweaver]

If it favors the C. guttata parent it will become pretty large. But those are very mature plants. C. guttata (as with the other large-growing bifoliate cattleyas such as C. amethystoglossa and C. leopoldii) doesn't have to become a giant before it will flower. So C. Bactia should probably produce blooms before it ever starts to outgrow a human. Plus, the two plants that I've actually seen in bloom have had really great-smelling blooms (again, inherited from C. guttata).

[Cattleya17]

Thats Crazy!! but impressive! i want it! but i dont know what i would do with a four foot plant not counting the height of the flower head. i think it would be worth it tho! and like you said Those are very mature plants and they will flower b4 getting that big. Definitely a WOW factor for sure!

[bullsie]

I have C. Bactia 'Grape Wax' and 'Granier's Plum Wine' and are great favorites of mine. I grow s/h and from bottom of 8" container to top of leaves (taller when in bloom) is about 26 - 28". Grows on a southeast windowsill. And placed outside for the summer. The flower spike will add another foot or so long. But the purple flowers and wonderful fragrance - and ease of growing - make this space hogging Catt worth it.

As a side note. I grow indoors and I think could get two flowerings a year but cannot provide enough light till summer when in Aug/Sept blooms, but on a second pseudobulb produced. In other words it gives me two pseudobulbs a year but only the one grown through the summer flowers (its growing a pseudobulb right now but that will mature and never flower.

[pheli]

That's a tall plant. I've ever seen some plants more than one meter tall.
Besides, it is a good parent to create waxy-flower cattleyas.

[Orchidjim]

Hi, I have grown this plant for many years and it's mature height is around 2'. I have one currently in a 12" slat basket that has flowered with 15 heads simultaneously. The clone 'Grape Wax' never gets to 4' that I have ever heard or grown. FWIW

[Orchidflowerchild]

Originally Posted by bullsie

I have C. Bactia 'Grape Wax' and 'Granier's Plum Wine' .

'Granier's Plum Wine' *is* lovely. I was at the judging where Ervin Granier recieved the CCM on that plant, and let me tell YOU that plant was HUGE. Granted, Ervin's plants ALL were. The thing was easily 3' tall with flowers and in an 18 or 20" pot. It was GLORIOUS.

I do miss Ervin's big pots of lovely specimen cattleyas.

-Cj

[bullsie]

Originally Posted by Orchidflowerchild

'Granier's Plum Wine' *is* lovely. I was at the judging where Ervin Granier recieved the CCM on that plant, and let me tell YOU that plant was HUGE. Granted, Ervin's plants ALL were. The thing was easily 3' tall with flowers and in an 18 or 20" pot. It was GLORIOUS.

I do miss Ervin's big pots of lovely specimen cattleyas.

-Cj

Yes, I think if one counted the pot, plant, and flowers, could easily total 4'. So while the plant itself may never reach 4', a grower really would have to accomadate a space of roughly that for it.

And your so right, 'Granier's Plum Wine' is gorgeous! Mine has a sort of 'spreading' growth to it as opposed to 'Grape Wax' which grows its pseudobulbs a good deal closer.