Stanhopea tigrina nigroviolacea 'The Predator' FCC/AOS in bud!
 

It's just two tiny things barely poking out of the bottom of the basket, but they're definitely there! We are well into the bloom season, so I was about to get worried, but it came through. It's a huge plant, and it's just getting started, so I'm sure more will come! You guys, after all the care I've given that plant, accommodating such a huge plant in the winter in the house, and now for it to finally pay off of is so exciting for me! I'm just elated!

Oh yeah. Show time!!!

Not to mention how much I paid for it :rofl::rofl::rofl: so it had better put on a good show lololol (although at this point, I'm so excited about the two buds, I'd probably enjoy my two flowers and be perfectly happy about it haha

I have totally been there!

I don't know how long you've been around or how closely you follow us here, but I got this plant last year during its blooming season. It had like either or ten buds on it. Between the time I ordered it and they packed it to ship, all the buds blasted. (She knocked a hundred dollars off the price, which I appreciated, and she didn't even need to to do that. When I buy an orchid plant, I figuring I am buying the PLANT, and any flower buds are extra, but not necessary, but I sure did let her reduce the price haha)

So I missed it blooming last year. Now this year I've seen several people post pictures of their tigrina nigroviolacea plants in bud and bloom, and I thought, what a minute... what about mine? mine has nothing?" so I started to get a little nervous that maybe I did something wrong and it wasn't going to bloom, so you can imagine how happy I was to see those two little buds today hahahaha.

I'm finally gonna see it! The wait is finally over! Or, almost over. I don't know how long it takes to get from here to bloom time, but you get what Im saying.

And I also have a question about the nigroviolacea part. There's some debate about whether that should be its own species rather than a variety of tigrina, right? Where do we stand on that currently? What is the prevailing opinion on this? And most importantly of all, what do you guys think about it? Should it be Stanhopea tigrina nigroviolacea 'The Predator', or Stanhopea nigroviolacea 'The Predator'?

I care about what the experts think, but I care just as much about what we think here haha.

Kew has it as Stan tigrina. There are listed as awards as tigrina var nigroviolacea and nigroviolacea. So take your pick... it probably will be lumped as tigrina. I have one that is definitely tigrina, and the color is distinctly red not purple, but otherwise looks pretty much the same. Maybe different habitats drove the separation, but my guess is that it will, at best, stay a variety of tigrina.

Thanks Roberta! I can always count on you!

pls post progress on those flower spikes, am curious to see time frame from first noticing spike to open flower.
Where was it sourced?

Great news that it's spiking for you, especially after all of the work you put into accommodating it and growing it well. Keep a sharp lookout for snails and slugs.