Phragmipedium besseae
This is its best blooming so far. I've had this a couple of years. I purchased it at Looking Glass orchids. There was a sizable section of a bench of P. besseae, many in bloom. I decided to select one of the plants that wasn't in bloom at the time, even though there were several plants with really nice flowers in bloom to choose from. I'm quite happy with how this turned out. This is the second bloom on the spike, I didn't photograph the first bloom unfortunately. It was slightly larger.
I love the windows on the pouch and while I'd prefer a more red or a more orange colored clone, I'm still enjoying this one just like it is.
I moved this to semi-hydro. It was a rough transition initially, but once the plant adjusted and the moss started growing on top, it's done pretty well this way. I grow it slightly shadier than most of the rest of my Phrags and I never let it dry out. It's grown indoors so temperatures are moderate year round.
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