Orchid species in bloom in southern California

[Roberta]

This link to this little online community is in my signature every month, but I think this month was a record. Mine are toward the bottom, others in the the area also had a spectacular display. So LOTS of orchids. Enjoy!
Southern California Orchid Species Society

[tmoney]

wow, your guys club meetings must be something!

and yeah, after looking through the link and seeing so many there growing l. purpurata, it makes me realize we are not in the right place for it and need to get rid of ours. anyone in europe want a struggling l.purpurata?! i'll throw in a mini-mark to sweeten the deal! hahahaah.

great blooms roberta, thanks for sharing.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by tmoney

wow, your guys club meetings must be something!

and yeah, after looking through the link and seeing so many there growing l. purpurata, it makes me realize we are not in the right place for it and need to get rid of ours. anyone in europe want a struggling l.purpurata?! i'll throw in a mini-mark to sweeten the deal! hahahaah.

great blooms roberta, thanks for sharing.

The "blog" IS the meeting. There was a physical club for many years, but as the founding members died off, there were not the species growers to replace them. People showed up for meetings, but there were only 2 or occasionally 3 of us who brought anything to show. And after several rounds of recycling the same officers, nobody wanted to do the work so the club folded. The same 2 of us supply most of the photos, we have added one more who contributes regularly. A few others come and go... But I felt that orchid species do need a forum, there's so much that is interesting, so I have taken on collecting the photo contributions and producing these monthly web pages. I'm glad that these contributions now get to be enjoyed far and wide.

And yes, L. purpurata grows easily in southern California. Along with a lot of other things. I have broadened my horizons, too, as I see what other people grow outside. Based on what others have done, I have booted some supposedly-warm-growing orchids out of my small and very overcrowded greenhouse, and they have done great.

[SADE2020]

Love and good jealousy!

Congrats to all fantastic growers

[Fuerte Rav]

Wow! just .....wow!

and that chameleon

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Fuerte Rav

Wow! just .....wow!

and that chameleon

"Jeffrey" is quite amazing. My friend Scott has an enclosed growing area (with only shade cloth on the sides and top, so still ambient outdoor conditions), so the animals can be kept both confined and safe. He also has few tree frogs, and the beasts do quite a good job of taking care of bugs. The set-up also lends itself to beneficial insects, mites, etc. I use pesticides only rarely, and only "surgically" on specific affected plants (have not had much problem, I suspect the garden plants give them enough other plants to eat) but he uses almost none. It is amazing what he manages to grow in a space that I think is only about 10 feet (3 m) square.

[SG in CR]

The Cuitlauzina pendula and Sobralia undatocarinata are ones that I'd love to grow myself. Online it seems like they need cool temps. Does it seem like they have a hard time with heat?
I ask because I have a few species that supposedly shouldn't work well for me, but it seems like they didn't get the memo.

[Roberta]

I have things that are supposedly warm growers (like Ceratostylis retiquama) that do fine and also didn't get the memo. So give them a try! That Sobralia is actually somewhat on the intermediate side, so the odds are good. Cuitlauzina pendula, worth a try it is so pretty. I have also heard that it won't bloom without a dry winter rest. Fortunately my plant can't read.

[SG in CR]

I'll have to see if I can find some. The Sobralia is native here, so odds are someone has them in cultivation. The Cuitlauzina might be tricky. Imported species orchids are kind of a rarity here.
My temps are usually in the 80's to 90's during the day all year long. In the dry season, Feb- May, the night time temps can stay quite high for at least a month or so. The rest of the year we get rain nearly daily and it can drop down to the low 60's.
I have a Dendrobium nobile hybrid that grows really well but has never bloomed in the 10 years I've had it because it supposedly needs cooler temps.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by SG in CR

I'll have to see if I can find some. The Sobralia is native here, so odds are someone has them in cultivation. The Cuitlauzina might be tricky. Imported species orchids are kind of a rarity here.
My temps are usually in the 80's to 90's during the day all year long. In the dry season, Feb- May, the night time temps can stay quite high for at least a month or so. The rest of the year we get rain nearly daily and it can drop down to the low 60's.
I have a Dendrobium nobile hybrid that grows really well but has never bloomed in the 10 years I've had it because it supposedly needs cooler temps.

That nighttime temperature drop should make some of the cooler growers work for you even though theoretically they don't. Maybe try keeping that Den nobile hybrid dried in winter - along with the cooling. Your "dry" is a lot more humid than mine.. I have found that for the most part my winter temperature drop is enough to trigger blooming in the deciduous and semi-deciduous Dendrobiums without drying... but I have to give some water even to the dry ones or they totally desiccate..(learned that the hard way)