Phal with massive lip and pink root tips! (also multifloral paph & mottled leaf phal)
 

Hey everyone!

Trader Joe's did it to me yet again.

I am in shock that I bought two phalaenopsis orchids. Really in shock! But they are both just so special that I couldn't pass them up!

The first orchid is a phal with amazing lips!! Seriously, look at the size of those things! The thing that reeeeally pushed me into buying it was the fact that it has pink root growth tips. PINK! Like a neofinetia falcata! PINK!! Like the color of my cotton candy frappuccino. I couldn't pass it up. I plan to mount it on a big piece of driftwood someday so it can overtake it with those awesome pink root tips!

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...psmvt9gcni.jpg
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...psys9iml6h.jpg

The second is some kind of mottled leaf phal, and I really love it. I hope to find more of these sometime. I really hate phals that are out of bloom because of their big, plain, floofy leaves, but this makes it all better! Better yet- they are all purple underneath!!

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...pst8i7ui6a.jpg
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...pspike1xxm.jpg
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...psygueuuir.jpg

The third is a multifloral (but unfortunately tall) paph niveum hybrid. I am so excited to be finding something beyond a boring maudiae hybrid at TJs! Without the flash, the undersides of the leaves on this one are almost black. They are beautifully mottled as well! I loooove this type of paph hybrid, though I am sad it is not short and adorable like some of its siblings.

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...pspyaekz5r.jpg
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...pshjbqpvz8.jpg
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...psi1r2rt7q.jpg

Thanks for looking, friends!

PS - forgive me, I'm not responsible for these blooms, but I still want to show them off!

Not a fan of that style of lip, but the roots are gorgeous. I want the paph! I haven't had luck at my local TJ's yet, but I'm keeping an eye out. Grats on all your finds :)

All lovely, I can see why they came home with you!

I am officially jealous of your TJ. Mine never has anything good!

You're in the bay area? Surely there's more than one TJ's around! You have to go to all of them a few times to feel out who gets the best shipments of orchids, and then go to those good ones a couple of times per week.

90% of the time mine is all phals and the same old oncidiums, but every so often they get some cool stuff in!

Lucky you, or unlucky as one might see it. Me I might see it as unlucky as I don't need any more orchids just now.

There's two in my immediate area that I go to, but both have the exact same collection of phals and oncidiums or miltoniopsis all the time, which seem to be very popular. Every now and then there's a nobile dendrobium or a paph but that's it. Sad part is they're the same recurring colors/shapes all the time. :(

I found three of the paphs at my TJ's today and chose my favorite. I just wish the flower was a littler flatter on mine. Also, only one bud as far as I can tell :(

Sometimes they are still in the process of blooming and will open up more for you over the next few days. Might as well go for one if only for that foliage!!!