Warm growers

[smweaver]

Have you tried any of the numerous Cymbidium madidum crosses? The species madidum is very heat tolerant in its native Australia, and it seems to pass this tolerance on to its descendants. I've grown Cymbidium Fifi 'Harry' AM/AOS for many years, and here in the Midwest where I live, it's very easy to grow and flower. I put it outdoors in the early spring and bring it back inside in the fall, and it flowers every year in the late winter. Long pendulous spikes, between three and four feet in length--and the plant itself (also thanks to its madidum parent) gets very large. But it's absolutely stunning when in flower--and it has a tendency to flower off older leafed pseudobulbs also; not always consistently, but it's a nice surprise to find a spike coming off a bulb that's three or four years old once in awhile. You can also try another madidum hybrid called Len Southward 'Tranquility.' I bought a sprouted backbulb from Casa de Las Orquideas (sp?) in California last fall, and it was very reasonably priced. The new growth is now at least a foot tall and is growing like a weed. But if the backbulb's any indication of its ultimate size, it's going to be a monster; the backbulb is approximately ten inches tall and five inches wide--honestly! You might want to contact them to see if they have any left for sale. The madidium hybrids, in my experience, can handle lots of heat and humidity, and they don't require the cooler late summer and fall weather in order to initiate spikes (mine never see temperatures below around 55 degrees fahrenheit, at those are only experienced during the coldest days of winter). Good luck!

Steve

[J.Stanly]

Hey guys,
There are a few warm growing Cymbs in India namely, Cymb. Aloefolium, Cymb. Bicolour they grow upto 20* north or south of the Equator. The Australian Cymb. Cannaliculatum is a warm growing beauty. Now What I ask is, Is there any one who has got warm growing named, registered Hybrids? I am ready to buy/or exchange seeds of this above species.
Thanks,
J.Stanly

[cb977]

Scott, I know these are warmth-tolerant:

Cym Sylvia Miller
Cym Little Black Sambo
Cym Swan Lake
Cym Golden Elf 'Sundust'
Cym Lake Arrowhead 'Geyserland'
Cym Oriental Legend 'Wild Rose'

How's the house moving along? Very exciting time!

smweaver:
Hello and welcome to Orchidboard!
I'm sure our other members would like to greet you and welcome you to the neighborhood
We have an Introductions forum...if you'd like to let us know a little about you and what you grow

[orchids3]

OH boy another Florida Cymbidium grower! Maybe we could trade sometime or even get a Florida Cymbidium Society going - Where is Spring Hill. I have most of what you listed except Swan Lake and Lake Arrowhead. Lots of new stuff. Is there a way to send a private message. Dont want to post my E-Mail address.
Cym Mimi 'Lucifer', Cym Taste of China, Cym Jungfrau'Snow Queen',Cym Eberno-lowianum, Cym
Rays Red Comet, Cym Pasadena, Cym Honey Bunny ' Sugar Candy', Cym Independance Day 'Festival'
Cym Janis Lin 'Emily Kate' Cym kanran,- Cant remember them all right not there are hundreds.

[Don Perusse]

I have only one cym. DAG. I live in SW Ga, stays outside from spring until I know of a frost, then in the grnhse. Pendulous type, yellow/grn w/wht lip. I don't if considered warm weather type or not. Most std are too big for my small grnhse but would like to get some minis.
Any sources? or should I request thru cym. alliance?

[orchids3]

I grow mine in and enclosed shade house in NE Florida and use a light mist to keep the the plants from freezing. It has been 5 years since mine have been in the greenhouse in winter. There are exceptions - plants with ancestry from Queensland in Australia should be taken in and not watered in the wintertime (Canalcaniculatum or Little Black Sambo for example) if you do water them in winter you will loose them.

[gerneveyn]

You can try Hatfield Orchids CYMBIDIUM ORCHID PLANTS: Orchids By Hausermann
Olympic Orchids - the Orchid Finders ~

[orchids3]

Hi, There are around 1500 cymbidiums in my outdoor collection in Jacksonville Florida and have experimented with what will grow and more important "Bloom". Presence of cymbidium species lowianum, eburneum, insigne , perishii (sanderae), kanran and lianpan tend to give hybrids with warmth tolerance. There is a whole group which seems to inhibit heat tollerance - its all hard to explain in a post. Have written a whole article
on the subject.

[Bobfharris]

Originally Posted by ScottMcC

Hey, quick question for the cymbidium fans...any recs for some that grow in warmer climes?

I'm just not set up to do the 40 degree thing...

This is a really big issue. First off there are several ways we can talk about warm tolerance. 1. Is your day night differential less than 15-20 degrees? 2. Is your night temperature above 55 degrees? 3. Is your day temperature above 86 degrees? These factors make a difference on what will work for you and what won't. I live in a part of Hawaii where night temp is never below 60, day night difference is less than 12 degrees, and day hardly ever goes above 86. So for me I have some that work nicely such as Sarah Jean 'Ice Cascades' which is listed as cool by many. Also Dorothy Stockstill 'Forgotten Fruits', Devon Odyssey, Pearl Dawson 'Procyon' to name a few pendulous ones. Going to the warm ones that have ensifolium in the background we have Golden Elf 'Sundust' and progeny of which there are many. Peter Pan 'Greensleeves', Kusuda Shining, Super Baby, etc but the life of the bloom is short. This is often made up for by multiple blooms per year in warm climes. Rosy Cloud is a very nice down the line hybrid from Peter Pan

Aloifolium species is very warm tolerant, and there are only a few hybrids. I have one just finished blooming now, Hugh Gordon 'Black Tiger' and the ants pollinated the heck out of the mother of aloifolium so have quite a few pods setting. It doesn't like to bloom until rather large.

Devonianum is strange in that some crosses are warm and some not. Nice red lips seem to come through in the crosses. Depends on the cross and origin of the devonianum perhaps. I have Robins Return blooming regularly, as does the above mentioned Devon Odyssey, etc.

Madidum is lovely with lots of long lasting green flowers. Problem is very large pseudobulbs so many of the crosses try to remove this. Mad Irishman is good as is Parish Madness.

Canaliculatum is another Aussie species that is often used for crosses with nice reds and greens. It needs dry conditions in winter though, a problem in many places.

parishii is funny in that some are and some aren't. It may have to do with the original plants and there have been lots of discussions about the classification of some of the specimens in this category. When it does work you can often get nice whites.

sinense is a small flowered longer lasting species that is used in many crosses. I have a Chinatown that is rather nice. Maureen Carter is also nice. The list here is rather long.

I'm working with a lot of warm tolerant ones and if you email me directly (harris@dancingfrog.net) I will talk to you more about what I will be offering in the future as I move into a more commercial mode. Meanwhile here on the forum I'm happy to share whatever info I have, and more than willing to be corrected when I'm in error!! and listen to what others have found out and wish to share.