Cymbidium ensifolium

[smweaver]

This has not been an easy orchid for me to grow and bloom. The new growths seem especially prone to rotting if even the slightest amount of water gets inside them (yet it appears to really appreciate a heavy hand when it comes to watering). In addition, it's something of a shy bloomer. In some years the plant just refuses to bloom at all--and when it does bloom, it produces no more than two or three flowers at a time.

But on those infrequent occasions when it does bloom, I realize why I go to so much trouble to try and keep it alive. The incredibly sweet fragrance of just these two flowers is enough to scent a very large area. I noticed the scent when I walked up the sidewalk to my front porch this afternoon when I came home from work, and I knew immediately what its source was. So maybe one day I'll figure out what to do in order to make this plant really thrive. For now I'll be satisfied with whatever flowers it chooses to produce.

Steve

IMG_2717 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Cymbidium ensifolium on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
IMG_2713 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!