Your opinion: what is the most beautiful orchid?

[Roberta]

Whatever is in bloom at the moment... I'm fickle.

[JScott]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Whatever is in bloom at the moment... I'm fickle.

Yeah, honestly, that's probably true for me also haha.

[SADE2020]

Agree 100% I just fall in love with anything that star blooming ....

But I do care a lot about the plant itself; the leaves, structure, strength and not only the flowers. For example, the Catasetum produce expectacular Flowers, but i think the plant itself is ugly.

The Masdevallia are amazing and challenging, so as the Draculas are a full show if is mixed well with environment.

Vanilla bean orchid (Vanilla plantifolia)

[MJG]

These four make my heart skip a beat when I see them in bloom.

Phal. bellina

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Psychopsis Mendenhall 'Hildos'

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Maxillaria sanguinea

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and my newest favorite, Cattleya nobilior f. amaliae

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[JScott]

Lc Dinard 'Blue Heaven' is also a must have for me, however it is a reluctant bloomer for me. Some years it doesn't bloom at all, and when it does bloom, I usually only get one or two flowers. But the blooms are so perfect and beautiful, I keep it around. I think it's worth it.

[SaraJean]

I have a bunch that are awesome and unique but not necessarily “beautiful” in the traditional sense. If I had to pick some of my favorite stunners I would have to go with anything that has an explosion of flowers. The overall display is what gets me every time.

Chysis limminghei is probably numero uno in my book. The individual flowers are lovely with their keels and soft contrasting colors on gracefully arching spikes. When that’s combined with those gorgeous broad leaves it is a really hard plant to ignore

Dendrobium lidlelyi looks like waterfalls of sunshine, but pretty much anything from Section Callista/Densiflora will do. At the first orchid society meeting I attended, there was an entire table that was taken up by a couple of these types of Dens with thousands of flowers everywhere. It looked like Spring went on a bender and threw up everywhere. I was hooked.

I can never decide if Habenaria medusa or Habenaria rhodocheila is my favorite but they are both two of my most traffic stopping orchids

Honorable mention is a Phal. shilleriana. It’s got a lot going for it- mottled or banded leaves, shiny gun metal roots, deep red root tips, gentle pink flowers with a classic shape on branching spikes. I particularly love these when they are grown mounted

[Dusty Ol' Man]

I have to agree with Roberta on this one! I don't think I have a favorite in the beauty column.

[InnaK]

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

I think the nicest ones are the ones I can't grow due to their size or their climate - that's usually how it goes right?
We desire what we can't have

This is it for me, exactly! But, aside from that, dowiana v. aurea with dark magenta lip is a sight to behold, with hardyana dark form in second place.