If you could only keep one orchid...which one?

[Ben_in_North_FLA]

Every plant I grow has a story behind it. I see posting of pictures of plants as an opportunity to tell that story.
Orchid obsession is a well known phenomenon and at times I have tried to cut back. How do you choose your favorite one plant above all others?

This plant is a strong candidate for that special position.
Otaara hidden gold, originally crossed by H&R in Hawaii is an outstanding little plant. profuse bloomer. More sun you give it, more blooms you get. A friend has a wooden basket with plant hanging out in full sub tropical sun and is in constant bloom. That was a piece of my original plant that I gave my local OS for a raffle and my friend won, so I still have a connection to it.

This plant blooms with small cattleya flowers. They open red, morph to orange and mature to a rich yellow.
If you google Otaara hidden gold images ( I know the name has changed, but I will not change my tag) you will see all the color phases. These flowers have just opened, I will add the yellow version when they mature. It has multiple colors, blooms frequently, is compact and can withstand full sun and s great grower. If I had to make the choice, this would be mine. The picture shows the Otaara behind one of my phal bellina. other picture is to show the plants roots after a year in coco moss fiber and a net pot culture.

what is your one and only orchid you could not live without?

[Ben_in_North_FLA]

Well, as I was looking through some of my old pics I located a few of the mature Otaara hidden gold. A rich yellow color.
BTW the plant's new name is ClaudeHamiltonaara hidden gold. Claude Hamlton is the owner of Hamlyn orchids in Jamaica. The parents of the cross are ctna why not (C. aurantiaca x Bro. sanguinea) and Bl Richard Mueller (Brassavola nodosa x Laelia milleri). The genetics of this cross have all the colors that the offspriing show.

[SaraJean]

Oh that’s easy. If I could only have one Cattleya (we are talking about just Cattleyas, right? Lol), it would be one of my walkerianas. And probably my ugliest looking one of the bunch... it was my first walkeriana, I bought last year and it looked like hell. Shriveled, stretched out pBulbs, no root system to speak of, dehydrated leaves, purple black patches on the bulbs; just awful looking. It bloomed though and I was smitten. Smelled something amazing in my courtyard a couple of days later, took a whiff, and I was done. Now I have 9 of them (edit: whoops! Make that 13. I forgot about my seedlings). This particular one has been growing all spring and summer with three growths that are almost mature and two more starting. The new pseudobulbs are not as tall as the previous ones but they are more round and FAT, so I think it should be fine. Plus, apart from the flowers, I think those chubby little pBulbs are great.

Also, I am blaming my current collection of Catts on this one guy. Prior to this, I had exactly one other Cattleya, a L. gloedeniana. I bought and bloomed said walkeriana and thought ‘oh, this is nice’. Now I have, ahem.. a quite a few other Brazilian species that I am truly enjoying trying to not murder (plus a few others)

This is a pic from last November when it was in bloom, a bit past it’s prime because every time I would go take a pic I would end up smelling it instead. Nice colors, pretty flares, sparkles in the sun, and super bright lip. So far, it’s still my favorite bloom of any of my other Catts

[Leafmite]

Just one? I really love plants which is why I buy them.

If it is among Cattleyas, I think I would choose one of my Cattleya aclandiae seedlings. Who can resist a baby Cattleya, especially one as small as an aclandiae seedling?

[Ben_in_North_FLA]

@SaraJean, your walkeriana is beautiful....

the concept of just growing one species has appealed to me over the years. Learning the full load of nuances about a singles specie s a great way to succeed at getting the best from your plants. Walkeriana is a great specie, small plants and great bloomers with fragrance and your have the tipo, semi alba and coerulea to round out the group.
Gold Country (from Calfornia) had some walkeriana seedlings a while back and I bought 3 of each type and at least one from each group was a killer. Growing species requires getting multiples of each variety to show variance in the specie and as a hedge against a mishap.

@Leafmite, aclandiae is also a great little plant. I grew several and they were just a joy. There are new ones out now, the alba ($125, too rich for my wallet) and coerulea and many new very dark crosses... not a bad choice...

[Gthumbz89]

I would keep my Lc. Mari's Song. I am a sucker for splash petals and fragrance.

[dounoharm]

for me, the scent is the thing....and the best and strongest smeller is the bc praetii….a bronzy color, unassuming, a pretty shape, but not exaggerated, but boy oh boy! I just love the spicy scent!....second place is my c jose mart 'mothers favorite'!

[Salixx]

Oh dear - I have so many Catts that I love dearly but I would have to choose either my Cattleya praestans or C. Prim Poppet (a hybrid between praestans and milleri). Steady, multiple times a year bloomers and I hope to try to bring my praestans to a judging center some day as I think it might actually be worth it.

[Subrosa]

In a perfect world, it would be Cattleya iricolor, hands down. I love the fragrance, and it fills my house like nothing else from late morning until mid afternoon when the plants are in bloom. But this world is not perfect, and those flowers only last a week, perhaps a day or two more. Not a problem at all when it's in the rotation, but if it was the only plant.........I actually prefer the fragrance of my nobilior var amaliae, it fills the room it's in with fragrance, if not the whole house, and the blooms can go over a month. So there it is.