Campanulorchis globifera

[Roberta]

Generally, I just include a link to my monthly drop of photos that I also do for my local Species society. But sometimes there's something that really needs to be featured alone, and I think that Campanulorchis globifera falls into that category. Unusual and very cute, The buds are wooly, and when the flowers open, that "wool" is on the backs of the segments. I grow it in a bulb pan with small bark. It is a rambler. The blooming growths are all outside the pot (one flower per growth), and it seems to be quite happy that way. It is cold-tolerant; I grow it outside on my patio, low temperatures close to freezing, highs mostly below 90 deg F (32 deg C) but occasionally warmer, well shaded. It is kept rather damp, gets daily watering in summer and every 2-3 days in winter. Very little fertilizer, like everything else in my yard. The species is native to Vietnam. Related to (and reclassified as) Eria.

[Ray]

Very nice, Roberta, and great photos, too.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Wow! That is really cool.

Reminds me of a space ship in a sci-fi movie.

---------- Post added at 08:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:42 AM ----------

Well, with a shag dash board

[Clawhammer]

Love this plant!

Does it require chill hours in order to bloom?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Clawhammer

Love this plant!

Does it require chill hours in order to bloom?

Looked up on IOSPE, it grows over a wide range of elevations, 800-2200 m. So I doubt that it NEEDS cold, but it will tolerate it. So best of both worlds!

[WaterWitchin]

I note it's one of those unruly ones that likes to crawl out of the pot and escape.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

I note it's one of those unruly ones that likes to crawl out of the pot and escape.

Yup... Last year it also bloomed, was still within the pot where I had put it when I repotted it. This year it grew in two directions and escaped again. My conclusion is that the pot is mostly for support, it likes roots in the air. So I'll go with the flow. Clearly it's getting enough water (probably from the part in the pot, but maybe enough just from the air and all my watering)

[DeaC]

Sweet plant. My blooms are whiter with the pink stripes...maybe due to being a bit warmer in the house as I've read that cooler temps bring out darker color. Yes, such a rambler. Put mine on a treefern mount sev. yrs ago and off she went. Unusual non-resupinate blooms. Mother Nature rocks!

[nemesis]

Such sweet little flowers. Precious.