Encyclia tampensis (Florida Butterfly Orchid)

[Bud]

Native to Florida: This is an orchid that can be seen in the wilds especially down south with pseudobulbs typically an inch or less in diameter supporting one (sometimes two) slender, grass-like leaves six to twelve inches long. Roots are slender and white when dry, and can run several inches up and down the branch where the plant grows. The spike emerges from within the leaf axil, to spring forth a raceme or panicle of attractive flowers, typically fragrant around noon that smells like licorice candy. The flowers are 1 to 1.5 inches, with green sepals and petals with varying specks of red, a tri-lobed lip with two lobes on either side of the column and the third lobe fan-shaped in purple hue.
Habitat: Hammocks and swamps from central Florida all the way down to the south, most found on live oak trees, but can grow on cypress, pop-ash, pond-apple, palm and pine trees.
Flowering season: May through August (peaking in June)

I got this mounted on a tree fern stick and decided not to mess with it since the roots are deeply imbedded and didn’t want to shock this plant. This is the second bloom after a year of sulking. I placed it near the humidifier last winter and luckily it decided to bloom for me and with two spikes at that! I am very happy how this plant is getting larger inspite of it being mounted ( most of my mounted plants are slow in becoming specimens)

[Gage]

Nice one, Bud! They're all in bloom here too! It's the one orchid "perk" of the hot, relatively bloomless summer. However, my 3 tampensis are way behind, and at this rate will be blooming in the fall, or even next year. The new growths aren't even mature yet!

[Bud]

Thank You, Gage for visiting and commenting...WOW! and you have three of these? ...this plant sulked on me for a season...I am very happy that it gave me two spikes this time.

[isurus79]

Looks good Bud. Is this an alba variety or is this the normal color?

[Bud]

its the regular variety...but the sunlight didnt capture the real colors on this form...I should have waited for an overcast skies....that captures the real color of the blooms...Thanks, Steve!

[tuvoc]

Cool.

Kim

[Bud]

Thank You, Kim !

Thank You, dounoharm !

[WhiteRabbit]

Beautiful!

[Gage]

Originally Posted by Bud

Thank You, Gage for visiting and commenting...WOW! and you have three of these? ...this plant sulked on me for a season...I am very happy that it gave me two spikes this time.

Well I rescued 2 little ones from a fallen bald cypress branch, and I bought an established one from H&R at a show. Ideally, I think they need a bit more light to bloom well. But at least I can see the wild ones while I'm waiting for mine to bloom. And all the ones I see on the trees do seem to be getting a bit more light than I can really provide right now. Oh well. And since yours sulked for a while, I will give mine the benefit of the doubt! But yours seems to be liking your conditions now!

[Bud]

Thank You, Sonya !

@Gage...I put it outside my fire escape for direct sun from dawn to 10 am together with my vandas....maybe that did the trick and ended its sulking...plus....Manhattan has strated to be warm and humid early this year