C. Chocolate Drop offspring
 

C. Chocolate Drop was very popular a few years ago. I never cared much for that style of Cattleyas (small star shaped flowers, high flower count). Yet, I am intrigued by what it can pass on to it's offspring, so I have purchased a few seedlings with it as a parent.

The first one is blooming now. This is a new SVO cross: (Rth. Burana Angel 'SVO' HCC/AOS x C. Chocolate Drop 'SVO' AM/AOS)

Flower is not large (abt. 2.1/2" NS), but it has pretty good shape is a super heavy substance.

I have one of the siblings of your plant. It is not yet showing any sign of blooming. Can you show a picture of the whole plant and discuss your growing conditions. Thanks!

Here is another SVO hybrid, which I bought in a 3" pot in an auction in Oct 2018:

(Lc. Waianae Blaze 'Sweetheart' x C. Chocolate Drop 'SVO' AM/AOS)

It has grown very well, graduating into a 7" pot last fall. It doubled in height to 18" pseudobulbs this spring, and is now blooming on 3 leads. The flowers are a bit over 4" NS; and it set 4-5 buds on each spike. To top it off, it is also very fragrant.

Kim ....... I haven't got a C. Chocolate Drop yet. The chocolate colour of choc drop is definitely interesting! I could watch choc drop flowers for quite a while ----- due to their chocolate colour haha. Quite nice.

The result from the cross - with the red colour tepals and pink/violet lip is a beauty. Thanks for showing us this one!

Both are really gorgeous! Congratulations!

The best news about the 2nd hybrid, is that it blooms twice a year (unusual for a plant this large). It bloomed in August on growths grown spring/summer 2020, and then again now on growths grown summer/fall.

Not too shabby for a plant that was in a 3" pot in October 2018.

I have 2 of this cross. I'm hoping for blooms this spring.

Just got confirmation of name registration from the RHS. Waianae Blaze x Chocolate Drop is now:
Cattlianthe (Ctt.) Blazing Dragon

If I see x Chocolate Drop in the name does that mean good fragrance and substance? If not how do you know if you’ve never seen it live but as a photo?

One of my oldest orchids (Cattlianthe Golden Wax) is a cross with C. Chocolate Drop 'Kodama' as one of the parents. I've had it since 1985. It blooms every year, usually twice a year. Oddly, it is "sometimes" fragrant. Mostly not, but when it has a fragrance it is strong, sweet, slightly spicy. The flowers are on a cluster-type spike, individual blooms about 3.5 inches across (see photo).

Attachment 150085

This is my most bullet-proof plant. I have given away so many divisions of it, I've lost count.

Added later: To see how variable a particular grex can be, try Googling photos of Cattlianthe Golden Wax. They are all variations on a theme, no two quite alike. The dominant color can be yellow, red, or orange, either concolor, or with a different colored lip.