December Blooms - Orchid Board

Junebug · #1 12-23-2010, 04:33 PM

There hasn't been much activity in the shadehouse this December. Recent cold snaps have slowed things down and buds are taking forever to fully open.

The first photo is a noid purple dendrobium that I've had for 4 years. She is a fully recovered rescue but she is the most accident prone orchid I own. Something disasterous always happens to her when she's in spike or in bloom. This is actually her second time spiking in the last few months. A scarab beetle made a mess of her first spikes so I cut them short and she made new ones. Her blooms are large and unscented and have a velveteen look about them.

Number 2 is another dendrobium that I rescued from a thrift shop a few season's back. Someone had tossed the poor thing in cardboard box along with two other dying chids. The store clerk was going to toss them, so she just gave them to me when I inquired about them. Unfortunately the other two, a phal and oncidium, did not survive.

The third photo shows my first blooms from what is supposed to be a Wilsonara Pacific Command 'Huina Road', but I have my doubts. The blooms are pretty, but they don't match the description or photos of other plants sharing the same name. This one is unscented.

Number 4 is noid that I believe to be a Burrageara or Degamora. The plant was given to me last Christmas but it hasn't grown well and the spikes are undersized. It may not be happy with the heat of Florida summers.

The fifth photo is one of my favorite plants, a noid vanda. In the summer of 2004 she was a small 3 leaved cutting. Now, including her roots she's almost 7' tall and she blooms anytime, any season. She should be producing multiple spikes in the near future, because currently the mother plant has a second short spike. The largest of her keikis is about 2 years old and it is making an effort to bloom too. It has 4 tiny spikes that are trying to mature, but I don't expect them to. Her momma did the same thing, but it took a 5th try at spiking before she finally got it right. Then, after her first successful blooms, there were no more hesitations.

Last but not least is my Sharry Baby. She bloomed from 5 spikes a few months ago and then she sent this 6th one out as an afterthought. My Sharry Baby smells so good and she fooled me a few days ago while she was staying indoors. I came home from grocery shopping and thought that someone was baking cookies, but then realized that the mouth watering chocolate smell was coming from her blooms.

jaxorchidman · #2 12-23-2010, 05:32 PM

Very nice Junebug!! I think you just inspired me to build a shadehouse after I get my greenhouse done.

Junebug · #3 12-23-2010, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxorchidman

Very nice Junebug!! I think you just inspired me to build a shadehouse after I get my greenhouse done.

Thank you. I love my shadehouse and it's just what my chids needed. They weren't nearly as happy growing under the insufficient lighting conditions that my back porch provided. The slat roof and trellis design provides them with just the right amount of shade and allows ample air circulation. I wish it could be insulated during cold spells though. During winters I run my behind off transferring all of them indoors and back out again. Lately I've felt like a tired yoyo.

Gin · #4 12-23-2010, 08:37 PM

Beautiful blooms ! glad you posted them .

Junebug · #5 12-23-2010, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gin

Beautiful blooms ! glad you posted them .

Thank you. I appreciate it.

WhiteRabbit · #6 12-23-2010, 11:00 PM

awesome!
I did an image search for Wilsonara Pacific Command - came across this, which does look like yours Burr. Pacific Command 'Huira Road': Orchids By Hausermann

Number 4 looks quite similar to my Bllra Tropic Splendor

Nice saves on the Dens! And I'm drooling over your stunning Vanda! Great growing!

alsorchids · #7 12-23-2010, 11:19 PM

I not only enjoyed the bloom photos, but I also found your narrative to be interesting. I can especially appreciate the time and care taken on 'rescue' orchids. I also have Burr. Pacific Command 'Huira Road', and yes it is the plant blooms your showing in photo #3. Your definitely right all the way around on this one WhiteRabbit. These orchids get BIG. Happy Holidays! AL

Connie Star · #8 12-23-2010, 11:31 PM

Your shade house is a special place. Florida is getting more and more appealing to me, except for the hot summers....

Junebug · #9 12-23-2010, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

awesome!
I did an image search for Wilsonara Pacific Command - came across this, which does look like yours Burr. Pacific Command 'Huira Road': Orchids By Hausermann

Number 4 looks quite similar to my Bllra Tropic Splendor

Nice saves on the Dens! And I'm drooling over your stunning Vanda! Great growing!

Thank you so much for both the compliments and the info. The Tropic Splendor looks a lot like mine. I've seen a few other close contenders too. Guess I'll never really know. This plant doesn't seem to take kindly to sweltering summers. During the heat it stops growing and looks sad, but during Spring, late Fall and Winter she puts out new growth and roots. Next summer I plan to grow her indoors with air conditioning to see if this helps.

I saw that photo of the Wilsonara. It does look like mine, but it's listed as a Huira Road instead of a Huina Road. Mine is supposed to be a Huina. Ray has a photo of one on his web site and there are a few other photos out there. The Huina blooms were described as primarily pumpkin orange with a yellow lip and they don't have the detailing on the lip like mine does. From photos the Huina's lip appears to be all yellow and the remaining petals and sepals are a pumpkin orange. My blooms are a much darker russet color and the lip has multi-tone margins and patterns. I'm happy with the look of my blooms but they aren't what I was expecting. The Huina version is an awarded plant and the look of this one doesn't compare to the original. It could be that it's related somehow, or perhaps the plant was grown from a different seed of the Huina's original parents, making this one related but different.

During my search for answers I also noticed other Wilsonaras that all looked the same in photos but their names were spelled differently. I can remember 3 of them as being, Huina, Haina, and Huira. Kind of confusing, isn't it? Perhaps Ray will see this thread and maybe he can shed some light.

Thanks again for your help and suggestions.

Junebug · #10 12-23-2010, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alsorchids

I not only enjoyed the bloom photos, but I also found your narrative to be interesting. I can especially appreciate the time and care taken on 'rescue' orchids. I also have Burr. Pacific Command 'Huira Road', and yes it is the plant blooms your showing in photo #3. Your definitely right all the way around on this one WhiteRabbit. These orchids get BIG. Happy Holidays! AL

Thank you so much. This is the problem I'm having. My plant was sold listed as a Huina Road and not Huira. The Huina is an awarded plant and I've seen pictures of it that don't match ours at all. I'm beginning to think the eBay vendor listed the plant incorrectly and sold me another variety of Pacific Command. Maybe there is a Huina and a Huira and I got the Huira and not the Huina.

Do you know anything about the parentage of your Huira Road? Thanks.