Old impulse buy cymbidium

[smweaver]

I bought this many years ago as an "impulse buy" at a local grocery store that was selling hybrid cymbidiums for the Christmas holiday season. Although I have no idea what name it was given at the time of registration, I figure it must have a fair amount of Cymbidium insigne in its background.

It grows like a weed, producing multiple growths each year and reliably flowers with two to three spikes each winter. Spikes are very tall, and the leaves are quite long and narrow, making it an attractive plant both in and out of bloom.

Steve

IMG_3469 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Cattleya17]

That Is Gorgeous!!!!!! I wouldn't Have been able to resist buying that!

[Lana]

What a delicate, almost translucent pink! I love it.

[phal-newbie]

GREAT PHOTO OF A BEAUTIFUL PLANT....WELL DONE.

[WhiteRabbit]

beautiful! good growing!

[camille1585]

Gorgeous!
My impulse buy cym is very similar, but I think I like the shape of your blooms better.

[stonedragonfarms]

This almost looks to me like it might be one of the Evening Star line; though most that I have seen (including my own) have a higher floral count. But the color and multiple spike attribute about matches...
Adam

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by smweaver

....Although I have no idea what name it was given at the time of registration, I figure it must have a fair amount of Cymbidium insigne in its background.....

Steve,

In my opinion, you are correct about appearing to have a fair amount of the species insigne in this unk. hybrid. I have actually seen an insigne sib cross where the plants look almost identical to this plant of yours. However, that does not mean yours is a pure insigne, only that without an actual original tag, it can only be identified as an unknown with a fair amount of insigne, as you have done.

You state that the leaves are long and quite narrow. Do they also have a tendency to bend/break easily? From the photo, it appears the stems are held well above the foliage and possibly about 3' long? Can you post a photo of the whole plant in bloom? or even even out of bloom?

CL

[smweaver]

Sure, here's a picture of the plant. The leaves are approximately 30" long, and the spikes are are about 2 inches short of 3' tall (I used a string to measure from the tip of one of the spikes to the base).

I haven't noticed a tendency for the leaves to bend or break (unlike those of a Red Beauty clone that I have, which, no matter how I try to protect it, always ends up looking like it just got pummeled by a hurricane), but the leaves on older growths don't last as long as those on my other cymbidiums, usually falling by the end of their second year. Thanks for helping with the identification!

Cymbidium insigne hybrid? | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Cym Ladye]

Hi Steve,

I suspect you may actually have a cultivar of insigne here, but without the original tag, I would not want to say definitely. Species are generally not sold through the big markets, but you never know all their sources. The flower count is low for a well grown insigne but then the two spikes are coming off only two green bulbs!

In regard to breaking of leaves, I find them brittle and instead of bending with no damage, they will break at the point of the bend. This occurs when they are physically bent as in a wind storm or in tipping over. They are not "heavy" as the 4n Red Beauty and its offspring can be.

The early loss of leaves indicates the roots may not be doing as well as they should in the medium you have them in. I have found that repotting every two years in a mix with more sand makes them happier. They do not like a salt build-up. Many of the insignes are semi terrestrial, living on moss on limestone rocks.

The species insigne is a great plant to have in any collection and there are many different forms. Try a Google search and you will be surprised at the wonderful variation in the species. (aside from a green photo, which is obviously not an insigne )

CL