How to find rare simple cattleya hybrids.
 

Hello All,

I have become increasing obsessed with some of the older cattleya hybrids. I am especially taken with the primary digbyana hybrids.

Where would be the best place to find these?

What has really caught my attention is photos of Rlc. Mrs. J Leeman. I once had the opportunity to buy one of these but I got cold feet as it was very expensive.

I guess if all else fails, I just purchased a cattleya dowiana and I already have the digbyana. I could always try to make my own.

Chadwick and Sons Orchids?

Does your orchid society include people who have been growing orchids for a really long time? You might meet someone who has classic orchid hybrids, and who would part with a division. Get to know people... you never know what you might find. And in the process, make some new friends. There are some great plants in collections, that will never make it to the internet.

Hi Brassavola Stars-
I have
Rlc Cordelia which is Rhyncholaelia digbyana X Catt intermedia (1906) Very durable and reliable cross, but prone to scale which i keep on top of. The place I got it no longer carries it. : -( sorry- but look for it, it's worthy.

Cattleya lawrenciana X mossiae is also a durable primary hybrid, but does not bloom as regularly for me as "Cordelia." (try H&R nurseries)

Lc Mini Purple - smallish and for me reliable and hardy. Should be available from many sources.

Crosses with Laelia anceps are a favorite of mine - so durable... try Santa Barabra Orchids

Good luck and happy growing
Maryanne in Massachusetts

I asked a breeder I know who does a lot of primaries if he had this one. He doesn't, but realized he has a bronze-bearded digbyana and a dowiana aurea with a beautiful big lip that would be perfect parents for a remake. That doesn't help you now, but....
-Keith

Those would be perfect! I wish I had a bronze digbyana. The last one I tried to buy at auction ended up going for over $700. I just bought a dowiana seedling but am still interested in getting a few other dowianas.

Was that just a few weeks ago, a plant auctioned by Steven Christofferson on eBay?
-Keith


Edit: I have about 65 C. dowiana aurea 4N x self seedlings.

Bingo!

I follow Steven’s eBay rather closely.

If I remember correctly, Waldor Orchids (along with some other significant Cattleya growers) might be an eBay auction competitor against me on Steven’s plants based on the last conversation I had with them at my orchid society.

Don’t quote me on this because I could be mistaken, but, I somewhat remember talking with David Off at Waldor Orchids about participating in high roller Cattleya eBay auctions and I believe Steven came up as someone with plants that are very desirable for breeding.

In short, I don’t stand a chance at one of these.

In addition to Chadwick, also consider Waldor Orchids, Silva Orchids and Keith Davis Orchids.

Lastly, my tenant (Kyle) has a large collection of Cattleyas, with emphasis on historical, coerulea & alba clones (primarily mother divisions). He doesn't sell commercially, but on occasion I sell some of his divisions.

Oops. Sorry about that, I won that plant. The faded flower Steven sold it with is still on the plant. Right now the only thing I have in flower to breed it with is a C. violacea 'Muse', and I don't think that would be a worthwhile hybrid.

If you have a plant you'd like to breed it with, I can send you the pollen if it is still intact.

-Keith

Thank you for the offer but I have never bred plants and wouldn’t even know where to start.

Did you by any chance also buy that stockpile of dowiana flasks Steven was selling also?

Do you also maybe have a shop where you sell these crosses you make?

---------- Post added at 01:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:58 PM ----------

I will make sure to check your site. I recently bloomed some plants of yours not too long ago and they were great. I’ll keep an eye out.

I didn't know Steven had C. dowians flasks. The plants I have are from high quality C. dowiana aurea 4N x self compots sold by H&R.



Good C. dowiana aurea are very hard to find. I purchased the compots to grow and will sell some on eBay along the way.


I used to have an online store, Neo Orchids, but had to move (almost 20 years ago) leaving all but a few of my orchids behind (sniff sniff).

-Keith

okay- this is not helpful immediately but.....i thought of you when i saw the listing and had to share the IDEA for you

there are sites that list estatesales and auctions (estatesales.net, craigslist, etc)

when they are liquidating a whole house it is often done by people who have little to know knowledge about the things they are selling. i saw an auction last weekend for an estate in palmetto bay (north of the redlands) and it had a shadehouse- they called it a greenhouse in the listing

in the shade house were easily 600 orchids including a bench with 50-60 specimen sized catts.

the entire shadehouse sold (with the structure) for 530 dollars......

this is not uncommon- when a collector dies and no one knows tragically plants are often thrown away!!!!

i pray it was a seller who bought it all so at least those species can get back into the market

i would spend a little time making some alerts for any estate sales or auctions with greenhouse, shade house etc

The Cattleya dowiana I bought is a 4n x 2n var. aurea.

Note on that if you were interested in breeding (though I think you said you aren't) It's likely to end being a 3N (and a mule - sterile). May give you bigger flowers than the "normal" 2N which is why people make crosses like that, but not useful for hybridizing further.