BLUE - Some Thelymitras

[Roberta]

The usual "blue" in orchids is coerulea, which is more blue-violet. But some of these Australian terrestrials are really, really blue. Thel. nuda and Thel. glaucophylla are intensely blue. They're very closely related - there are several blue species in the Thel. nuda complex. The little Thel. pauciflora is more violet, and the primary hybrid Thel. glaucophylla x grandiflora has just a bit of violet, not quite as blue as glaucophylla, but somewhat larger. A couple of photos with my hand to show relative sizes.

[Bayard]

OMG!

[estación seca]

Everybody is going to want to grow these. Do a lot of reading on the Mediterranean climate and the plants that grow there before setting out. Roberta lives in a Mediterranean climate.

If you live in a cold winter climate and can't keep them outside in winter, you must have supplemental lighting and a very cool place to grow them (at least at night.) Very cool means temperatures well below where most people keep their house in winter. Before LEDs supplemental lighting produced too much heat for these plants, and it was difficult to keep the growing area cool enough.

A lot of succulents come from this climate regime; it is very difficult to teach people living in cold-winter climates to water them properly. The urge to water during hot, dry seasons is uncontrollable in many people, and is exactly what these plants don't need.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Everybody is going to want to grow these. Do a lot of reading on the Mediterranean climate and the plants that grow there before setting out. Roberta lives in a Mediterranean climate.

Indeed, an "easy orchid" is one that you can grow with conditions that match what you have available. A "difficult orchid" is one where you have to work hard to meet its needs and maybe you just can't get there. We all push the envelope. (I am planning on putting my new Japanese terrestrials in the refrigerator next winter, I know my winters aren't cold enough for them during dormancy and they also need to stay fairly dry) Just do your research... Mediterranean-climate terrestrials are easy where I live since warm, dry summers (no rain) and cool, damp winters (above freezing) are what happen naturally. In other places, not so much.

[KatieM]

Stunning!

[Lil Duck]

Gimme a source pls…

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Lil Duck

Gimme a source pls…

That's the tough part... the only source that I know of is myorchids.de in Germany. I have a friend who got an import permit and works with the owner (Dr. Beyrle) to get all the CITES and Phytosanitary paperwork taken care of so that the tubers can be shipped to his house (instead of through a port of entry and quarantine)... I go and pick mine up from him. So not a simple process... The import permit is the biggie. It's free, but the USDA site is not user-friendly. If you can find someone in your area who has an import permit, and can put together a group order to make the shipping and paperwork worthwhile, that's what it takes.

If you want to do this, start doing your homework now... he generally posts the list of plants at the end of May or early June. Tubers are on a northern Hemisphere schedule, which is great... I think flipping seasons on these things could be rather fraught.

Last year there were a few Aussie terrestrials sold by Tarzane Group in Florida. Most things were gone within minutes of the "drop". Like, get your credit card on file with them beforehand... last year I lost out on something I wanted between the time I put it in my shopping cart and got my CC number entered.

[Lil Duck]

Well if you ever divide your plant….. sign me up

[KatieM]

Originally Posted by Lil Duck

Well if you ever divide your plant….. sign me up

I second that. I've got some similar but that beauty has been elusive.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by KatieM

I second that. I've got some similar but that beauty has been elusive.

On the list... but do note that it will be a lot harder for you to get the climate right... Florida is monsoonal not Mediterranean so the rain hits at the wrong time. Have you tried any of the European terrestrials? Those are a lot easier to find, have similar cultural needs to the Aussies. So might be a good "culture test". (There's a gal on eBay who sells them, I can send you the info. Will be toward the end of May before the tubers are available)