Holy crap did I get a phal. wiganiae at No Frills?
 

So, I was browsing at my local discount supermarket when I stumbled upon a phal that looked very unique. I'm so used to seeing all the flashy fuschia, dyed blue, pillowy white phals that they rarely catch my eye at all anymore. As a rule I generally don't buy or rescue them because their flowers have lost the uniqueness that drew me into orchids in the 1st place. But this pretty little lady was different. Banded leaves, smaller more "species like" flowers, white with a hint of blushing pink and subtle little freckles on the iridescent surface of the petals, not those slap you in the mouth fuschia, palm sized, bubble like phals you normally see at the grocery store. Sure there were plenty of those, and the massive white discs that the, once elegant, white phals have become and the DREADED dyed ones (sigh, is there not enough brilliant colour in the orchid world? We have to dye them blue now?) but among all the hybridizing that has essentially blended anything unique from a phal into a few varieties of lacklustre throwaways is this little gem. She was almost completely shrouded by the obnoxious "look at how big I am!!!" phals but I saw her. I pulled her out, 1/3 the size of the others and not another like her in the bunch. This is the 1st time in 10 years that a phal had caught my eye. I inspected her, checked her roots, the leaves, I was sorta puzzled by the banded leaves and was inspecting every leaf to make sure it wasn't a disease or anything. I even googled it to make sure that phal leaves actually come like that. But there was nothing wrong with her, she was perfect. 2 branching flower sprays with many flowers. I snatched her up and continued shopping. Hey, for $9.99 its worth it for just the one show. I took her home and I couldn't believe that I bought a phal and not only that, I actually really liked it. Over the summer she got some earwigs in her pot as she hung from the tree and they had their way with her roots, when I brought her in she was a mess, I cleaned her up, changed her pot and kinda put her off to the side and figured "meh, she might make it, she might not" I think I had forgotten how brilliant her flowers were. She was strong and she hung on, grew and grew, new roots and leaves and then I see a little spike and it all comes back. Her delicate pretty flowers, the branching sprays. Well, today as I'm window shopping on eBay for orchids I see one with leaves like my little lady, "hmmmmm, I wonder if that looks like mine?" I do a bit of searching and I find a hybrid called phal. wiganiae and its her!! I don't mean it could be her, I mean there is no way that there could be an orchid hybrid out there that looks more like her. I would call this a 99.9% certain ID, which is impossible with grocery store phals. So is it possible that I have actually IDed the unIDable? By accident? And not only that but I got something good at a discount grocery store? It was like the grower put her in the wrong bundle. One labeled "Walmart" another labeled "loblaws inc" and one labeled "home depot" where all the obnoxious ones go and the rest to flower store suppliers? Maybe she was supposed to go in the last bunch and there wasn't room? Maybe it was an accident? Who knows. All I can say is that I got a phal. wiganiae for $9.99 at No Frills. I'd say I did pretty good.


Will post pics as soon as the blooms open

I agree - I think you did pretty well myself. Once in a while I will find such little treasures, but it has been a while. I think I know the phalae' you are talking about - about as far on the other end of the spectrum from the Mystic Blue or whatever they decide to call those things. I am of the same camp you are - there are plenty of beautiful colors, not to mention more interesting shapes in the Orchid World, why dye them? Now explain that to the store owner that swears they can hardly keep them on the shelves. I wonder what the buyers who did not read the fine print on the tag thinks when that vivid blue orchid blooms out a pure white next time (if it makes it that long - what effect does that dye have on the plant over time I wonder?)
Well, I have warmed that soap box up plenty - I will let others take over.
So nice to find the treasure among the trash isn't it? Congrats and enjoy the season!
Steve:waving

Congratulations on your find - Wow! I love it when someone can find something "interesting" at a low price - it makes the hunt worthwhile.

I too am offended by dyed flowers and foliage in general, and the blue Phals in particular. Yuck!

Lucky you! My No Frills doesn't have orchids at all :(

Nice!

did pretty good myself!!
 

:hello love to see pictures of your orchid when it blooms. This is the find I got at a no frills it was the only 1 like it. I snatched it up right away, I couldn't believe my luck. I hope you like :biggrin:

Cheryl

Ummm, you might wanna google pictures of the one I got at no frills. You have the same one as me. I think you just got an ID for that little lady

Well blow me over with a feather I do believe you are right. I googled and it is the same orchid. I knew it had to have schilleriana and (or stuartiana)
in it for the leaves, cause i have one. But it has no scent so i kenw it wasn't just that, but from the shape of the flowers i can see stuartiana in it. So to see that this is a cross of schilleriana X stuartiana. Well this just made my day to have lucked out like this is fantastic. Too funny here we both have same plant lol. Thanks for the id and good luck with yours. :)

Cheryl

I'll have to look a lot closer at No Frills phals from now on. Who knows, I might get lucky too!

Yeah, for sure. I do from now on. I also managed to get a good one from Walmart and it even came with a proper ID tag and everything. Really great find. Even the growers I normally buy from said it was a great find and they would have bought it if they saw it too