Hmmmm?? -OR- have you ever purchased an IDed orchid and then it was not as IDed??

[DirtyCoconuts]

Forgive me for not having my pics ready to added depth and information to this question but they will be along soo
I have an orchid, den-phal type that I purchased a while ago (based on the pot, from Home Depot I believe. And it just bloomed and I think it is not the plant on the tag

The tag says it is Den MoNa red but this plant is purple. Like no question, purple. It has the similar white margin (which is stunning and quite like a halo) but the sepals look different and the color is not even close. Could it be variation or do I have a NoID that’s wearing a false name tag


Okay. Here is my plant

I’ll find an example of the Mona red

[Ray]

Living under a false identity is a common orchid ploy.

[Subrosa]

I purchased this as Cattleya bicolor var albescens 'Shaw'.....

[DirtyCoconuts]

I was actually thinking I was surprised it is not more common.

[Roberta]

Happens all the time. And then, add to that the synonyms of species names. (Bulb. blumei = B. maxillare = B. masdevalliaceum... buy all 3 )

[JScott]

In fact, there is an ebay seller, Marblekg, who is notorious for selling mislabeled plants. I have bought two plants from him, on two separate occasions. Both were near blooming size when I got them, and then when they bloomed, neither plant was anything close to what it was supposed to have been, and there are abundant examples of this behavior from him on this forum. So yes, mislabeled orchids are a thing. Sometimes it happens. I like both of the plants I got, so I guess not all is lost. If you like the plant anyway, just enjoy it for what it is (a NoID).

Also tho, cultural conditions can affect color. More or less light, higher or lower temperatures when the buds develop, can have a huge effect on color. So you may have the plant you thought you bought, but because of your growing conditions, the color turned out different from what you expected. Although the color of your flower and the pictures I was able to find on google of Mona Red are so very different, I think it might be a bit of a stretch to say that cultural conditions are responsible.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by JScott

In fact, there is an ebay seller, Marblekg, who is notorious for selling mislabeled plants. I have bought two plants from him, on two separate occasions. Both were near blooming size when I got them, and then when they bloomed, neither plant was anything close to what it was supposed to have been, and there are abundant examples of this behavior from him on this forum. So yes, mislabeled orchids are a thing. Sometimes it happens. I like both of the plants I got, so I guess not all is lost. If you like the plant anyway, just enjoy it for what it is (a NoID).

Also tho, cultural conditions can affect color. More or less light, higher or lower temperatures when the buds develop, can have a huge effect on color. So you may have the plant you thought you bought, but because of your growing conditions, the color turned out different from what you expected. Although the color of your flower and the pictures I was able to find on google of Mona Red are so very different, I think it might be a bit of a stretch to say that cultural conditions are responsible.

He currently has one of the plants I'm looking for listed, Gongora garayana. But the bloom pic he shows for the plant is so obviously not G. garayana it's pathetic. And he's asked my $100 for it! He must have a pretty low opinion of orchid hobbyists to be so blatant about this particular misidentification!

[Leafmite]

This is why I prefer to get my orchids from reliable sources. Hausermann's, Ecuagenera, Andy's Orchids, J&L, Gold Country, Al's Orchid Greenhouse, SVO, New Vision Orchids (Russ Vernon), are just some of the many that I have found great over the years that are still in business (I will always miss the old Oak Hill Gardens Orchids). I also have good luck with the two local vendors, Robert's Flower Supply (He does some crosses that have turned out nicely) and Windswept in Time (Edgar knows his Bulbophyllum). I find it is pretty useful to learn the specialties of vendors and avoid the vendors that just flip orchids or the flipped orchids they sell to support the hobby orchids.

But, I have a young 'Angraecum elephantinium' which has not yet bloomed. These are often Angraecum didieri, mislabeled. I am patiently waiting to see if I have another didieri or the elephantinium. It comes from J&L so I should be good.

---------- Post added at 04:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:51 PM ----------

The Dendrobium that you have is rather pretty, though.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Oh I wasn’t complaining. I bet a third of my orchids are reacue NoIDs and I could not love them any more.

To me, appreciating the beauty of nature requires nothing more than an open mind. Even if one or more of your senses have abandoned you, ‘ma nature can still fill you with awe

[Fairorchids]

In addition to cultural conditions causing significant color changes mentioned by JScott, there was a recent thread about a Vanda that changed color. That was eventually traced to a change in fertilizer, with a slightly different pH.

There is also the potential for mutations in the meristem process. One of the most spectacular, was Den. Enobi Purple 'Splash' (look it up), which came out of a batch of pure purple plants.