Cymbidium lowianum

[Jeff214]

Here is a Cymbidium lowianum I purchased from SBOE at the spring show. It was already spiking so I can't take credit it for that, but it's so wonderful that I had to share.

Supposedly, SoCal has the perfect climate for these. I thought most of these were cold growing...? not sure how this will fare this summer in San Diego. Most of the cool or cold growing orchids have perished since I moved here.

I recall my grandparents looking forward each New Year to buy a cymbidium. I think it used to be a popular plant to celebrate the new year with (in Japan) but it seems to have gone out of fashion now a days. When I saw the amazing cymbidium displays at the Santa Barbara Orchid show this year, I had to get one as well! Maybe a little late for new year celebrations, but it certainly brings back nice memories of my grandparents.

[Roberta]

Beautiful! Cyms don't mind heat... my first orchid was a Cym from a co-worker who lived in Diamond Bar - inland, often triple-digit F summer temperatures and winter frost. She grew them under a big deciduous tree - some shading in summer, bright light (when it lost leaves) in winter. I figured that if she could grow orchids in Diamond Bar, I could grow orchids in my much milder coastal climate. The rest is history...

So, with a little summer shading, these handle anywhere from 29 deg F(-2 deg C) to 110 deg F (43 deg C) with no problem at all. Just keep it well watered, especially in hot weather (never let it go dry for long even in winter) . Also, heavy feeders - I have had good results adding a top dressing of pinch to small handful depending on pot size of time-release fertilizer to supplement my light general fertilizing.

The term "warmth-tolerant Cymbidium" is misleading. It refers to Cyms that don't need a fall cool-down to bloom. (Typically those have some of the tropical, hard-leaved Cyms in their ancestry) Those are more like "hot-muggy-nights tolerant, and that just for blooming, growing none of them care. Most Cyms, except for that breeding line, do need warm fall days and cool nights to bloom. Which in southern California, happens naturally, the normal weather pattern. Except for a few picky high-elevation miniature Chinese Cym species like goeringii, I have never met a Cym that didn't laugh at the worst heat that inland southern California could throw at it. Cym. lowianaum should have no problem.

[Jeff214]

Thanks, that's great to know! Previously, I tried some of the mini-cymb types and I found them to be challenging to grow in an Atlanta apartment! Since then, I had some reservations with trying other types. I'm glad the SoCal climate is great for them.

Do you grow Cym. tracyanum or insigne? I saw that Andy has an enormous tracyanum and I wish I had space for one!

[Roberta]

I don't have tracyanum. (Have had in the past but lost it, moved on to smaller things) Insigne grows happily. (Actually, it came from Andy's). I also love Cym. erythrostylum, it grows well for me. A little different form - sort of triangular flower. Crystaline white, graceful. Consider Cym dayanum - small, pendant flowers, really floriforous. There's a variegated-leaf form too. Plant stays reasonable-sized.

The size is a drawback for tracyanum, for sure. I love the fragrance, but... Most of my Cyms (the majority are hybrids) came by way of society raffle tables. Now, the ones that I favor are the smaller, mostly pendant ones. No room for the ones that grow into gut-busters.


Cyms in general just grow so easily in southern California that they don't get sufficient respect, I think. But what else produces such long-lasting flower power? Dendrobiums get bigger, but flowers last a week or 10 days. Cymbidium flowers last 6-8 weeks. And require so little care... put them on patio, squirt with a hose when you think of it, and they bloom like crazy. An "easy orchid" is one for which one's natural conditions match the plant's requirements. (And those conditions are really hard to achieve in most other places, as you discovered) South Florida has Vandas, we have Cyms.

[Toadwally]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I don't have tracyanum. (Have had in the past but lost it, moved on to smaller things) Insigne grows happily. (Actually, it came from Andy's). I also love Cym. erythrostylum, it grows well for me. A little different form - sort of triangular flower. Crystaline white, graceful. Consider Cym dayanum - small, pendant flowers, really floriforous. There's a variegated-leaf form too. Plant stays reasonable-sized.

The size is a drawback for tracyanum, for sure. I love the fragrance, but... Most of my Cyms (the majority are hybrids) came by way of society raffle tables. Now, the ones that I favor are the smaller, mostly pendant ones. No room for the ones that grow into gut-busters.


Cyms in general just grow so easily in southern California that they don't get sufficient respect, I think. But what else produces such long-lasting flower power? Dendrobiums get bigger, but flowers last a week or 10 days. Cymbidium flowers last 6-8 weeks. And require so little care... put them on patio, squirt with a hose when you think of it, and they bloom like crazy. An "easy orchid" is one for which one's natural conditions match the plant's requirements. (And those conditions are really hard to achieve in most other places, as you discovered) South Florida has Vandas, we have Cyms.

Your post reminds me of Mote's addage about how fish not kept in a pastures or cows in a pond.

[estación seca]

When I was a youngster in Orange County people would sometimes have Cymbidiums flowering every Spring in huge pots by their front doorway. They often didn't know what it was, weren't plant people, never fertilized and didn't repot.

[DirtyCoconuts]

i love this one...i will be adding it to my "look for " list

hot cyms are the best