Which orchid is this?

[Rross]

My neighbour has just offered me a mystery orchid division, and sent me this photo of it. Can anyone tell me what kind of orchid it is? Apparently, the flower spikes grow downward through holes in the bottom of a hanging basket. My neighbour in I live in Sydney (Australia) where this orchid grows well in shade and neglect.

[camille1585]

That's a Stanhopea, and they must be grown in hanging baskets since they grow their spikes downwards.

I'm not at all familiar with this genus (don't grow them due to their inconvenient spiking habits for indoor culture), but it looks like/similar to Stanhopea tigrina.

Looks like it's doing quite well!

[DeaC]

Have read tigrina is synonymous with nigroviolacea but you're in for a lot of magnificense and fragrance. I have 6 Stans. growing inside my small home but now they go outside with lots of water, some shade and warmth. Challenging but so worth it. She's a keeper.

[Rross]

Thanks for your replies.

[Rross]

Here are a couple of images of my Stanhopea now in full but brief bloom! My garden smells like vanilla.

[Roberta]

I think Stan. tigrina for sure. And the fragrance emerges suddenly as the flowers open with a "pop". I you missed the moment of opening this year, perhaps next time. A wonderful genus, and this is a terrfic species.

[Rross]

The day before it opened, I kept going outside with the hope of videoing the buds in the act of bursting open, but they stayed firmly closed. The next morning, I opened my back door and was blasted by a strong vanilla smell, so I raced outside and found two amazing, prehistoric- flowers. I find them so amazing that I’m pulling in neighbours and relative strangers off the street to see them. Everyone is much more amazed than they expected.

[Roberta]

Flowers don't last long but they look like they are from another planet. At least you were there to enjoy! Last summer, I managed to have 3 plants bloom and fade within a week when I was traveling. <sigh>

[Rross]

Yes. That’s happened to me with tulips. One year they were just about to bloom when I got news my aunt, on the other side of the world, was dying. I raced over to see her, and though I’m so glad I could do that, the tulips merrily and briefly bloomed for no one. Here in my exposed, west-facing garden, growing tulips is a bit of a folly. Now that I’m weighted down with my new orchid obsession, I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere for any reason!

[SouthPark]

Some Stanhopea - or maybe even a lot of them - can get pretty large flowers too. Big. Quite nice.