Spring 2022 plant project: sign up and plant suggestions

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Tim P.

My two selections would be macodes petola, or dendrobium hekouense. Those are two I've wanted to try for some time, and I'd like to experiment with petola to see if I can grow it like my african violets

I really liked Den hekouense last year when it was suggested, but it ultimately didn't make the cut. As it's a recently discovered species there was not too much information about it and it seemed to be a cool grower. However if there is more info on this plant since last year, I'd love to consider it again!

[Roberta]

I totally love Den. hekouense. Yes, it grows on the cool side, but don't know if that is a requirement or something that it just accommodates. It is really cute, flowers bigger than the plant.

For a plant that that grows warm, blooms multiple times a year, fragrant at night, and small but vigorous, consider Angraecum distichum. I grow it in a 4 inch/10 cm wood basket (much of it is now outside the basket, though), a rather bulletproof little orchid. Don't know how available it is across the world but don't think it is particularly rare, it is in cultivation pretty widely,

This is what it can do with nothing beyond normal orchid care and not a lot of that... pretty much, Phalenopsis conditions.http://orchidcentral.org/Images/Angr...tichum%202.jpg

[camille1585]

I searched for more info on Den hekouense, and New World Orchids says that it tolerates 100F in the summer in their greenhouse. So it doesn't seem like an obligate cool grower. Dendrobium hekouense - New World Orchids

Love the Angraecum distichum, I think it was on the list last year too but we couldn't find vendors for it.

[Keysguy]

There are some cool growers on the list that would just not work for me, which is fine.

I noticed Camille included Epidendrum ciliare on her suggestion list. If people are not familiar with this plant, I highly recommend you do some research. I have over 200 plants in my collection and ciliare is among my top 5 favorites. It's an easy grower (mounted), interesting flower (lacy lip) and growth habit and a fragrance very similar to gardenia that will knock your socks off.

2 potential drawbacks for some growers might be that a) it grows best mounted and b) it's a fairly good sized plant.

Mine just won best Epidendrum at the Key West show and is about to undergo a major re-mounting on a new piece of cork when it stops blooming as the current mount is ancient and disintegrating.

I think it's a worthy consideration for the project team.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Keysguy

There are some cool growers on the list that would just not work for me, which is fine.

I noticed Camille included Epidendrum ciliare on her suggestion list. If people are not familiar with this plant, I highly recommend you do some research. I have over 200 plants in my collection and ciliare is among my top 5 favorites. It's an easy grower (mounted), interesting flower (lacy lip) and growth habit and a fragrance very similar to gardenia that will knock your socks off.

2 potential drawbacks for some growers might be that a) it grows best mounted and b) it's a fairly good sized plant.

Mine just won best Epidendrum at the Key West show and is about to undergo a major re-mounting on a new piece of cork when it stops blooming as the current mount is ancient and disintegrating.

I think it's a worthy consideration for the project team.

Thanks for the info, and congrats on getting an award!
The plant was suggested by someone else, and I put all the suggestions in the first post as a way to centralize the information. Last night I was busy looking up vendors, and Epidendrum ciliare seems hard to find in the US, so it probably won't make the list regardless of its size.

[camille1585]

I did some research last night and looked up vendor and general information for the plants on the list so far, and updated the first post of this thread. Let me know if anything is incorrect or if I missed some good vendors.

[Tim P.]

Den. Hekouense is listed at hausermanns for 15 dollars.

Macodes petola is pretty easy to run across for 20 dollars on etsy or eBay here in the states.

Michael Tibbs at exoticplantcompany.com (Europe) has them for 25 euros... I've ordered from him before. Great plants, and he ships to the states legally.

[PlumCrazy]

Hello! Just pitching in my 2 cents on the plants so far (really like the list!!)

Leptotes bicolor - have this on my wish list with Leptotes bohnkiana as alternative. I think bohnkiana is even smaller, but Andy's does have that for $40 on sale now.

Dendrobium jenkinsii - got one in January, so I'm in

Dendrobium hekouense - got one in August, but it's not doing so great. I think it might be starting to adapt to my orchidarium now...

Cattleya dayana fma. coerulea - have Laelia dayana semi-alba 'Lip-Service' on my wish list. Also haven't been able to find that specific one.

Dendrobium unicum - was on my wish list, but my notes say it needs a cool winter rest. Is that necessary?

I like everything on the list so far. Obviously the main issue seems to be finding something that has enough availability, so maybe once we choose one we can have someone call the vendors and make sure they have enough of it before we start purchasing...

[Roberta]

With regard to Den unicum, just what it does for me. it's deciduous... I don't dry mine but it's mounted so it dries fast. And growing outside, it gets a chill. And blooms very well. So I don't know how much of the "rest" requirement is a requirement and how much is just tolerant or how much is cold and how much is reduced water or if they can be interchanged.

Note, Den hekouense is, I think, also one of those that benefits from winter cool. Fairly high elevation.

[estación seca]

I'm putting myself down as a Maybe participant.