Phal. pallens - lots of blooms this year!

[camille1585]

One of my favorite little Phal species, Phal pallens, is blooming again. It's a rather small orchid and a reliable bloomer once it gets going (it sat and did nothing the first 2 years I had it!) and now often blooms twice a year for me- in January and then again in June-July. It blooms off old spikes as well as new ones, and the old spikes can bloom several years in a row. This time it's also blooming off 2 keikis that I hadn't removed yet.

If you like Phal species, I highly recommend that you add this one to your collection! Unfortunately it doesn't seem very common in cultivation, I rarely see it for sale.

[jcec1]

That's a nice display - are the blooms scented?

The plant looks like a bastianii I have loads of old spikes and keikis - mine is not blooming at the moment though.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by jcec1

That's a nice display - are the blooms scented?

The plant looks like a bastianii I have loads of old spikes and keikis - mine is not blooming at the moment though.

No not scented, but I don't mind, even it would be really nice!

I have a bastianii or lueddemanniana that sounds like it looks like yours, lots of spikes and keikis, and it's growing buds right now. I'm not sure which it is because I used to have both, I tossed one last summer (badly diseased) but I can't remember which. I need to check the label.

[Pattywack]

Camille what a sweet little Phal! I really love the flowers and the keikis flowering as well is too cute!

I don’t grow many Phals and the minis I do grow are mounted. I can see why this one is a favorite of yours, it is beautiful!

[CourtneyT]

I just bought two Phal species during the trip to Thailand. They are Phal Violacea and phal cornu cervi red. Have never grown a Phal specie before. Wondering if I should use sphagnum moss to pot them when I receive them in early March.

[Paul]

How big does this one get, Camille? (Both leaf span and height)

[marcmaubert]

I've never even heard of this species, it's really pretty!

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Paul

How big does this one get, Camille? (Both leaf span and height)

I'm not going to be home until tomorrow, but if I had to guesstimate, I'd say that the height (excluding spikes) is around 4.5 to 5 inches, and the longest leaf is probably something similar. I think they can get larger than that, but not by much. To give you a visual reference, the cache pot I used for the photos is a 5 in diameter pot. They like to keiki, and if grown mounted the plant can form a dense mat, in a similar way to Phal pulchra.

Originally Posted by marcmaubert

I've never even heard of this species, it's really pretty!

I had never heard of the species either until I bought it! It seems rare in cultivation, but it's not a difficult species at all. It was a leftover at the end of a show in the area where society members sell their own plants. It was a bit scraggly looking and very yellow (which I later found out was a nutrient deficiency) but I loved the single faded bloom it had. I got it for 4 or 5€ and nursed it back to health. I've had it 5-6 years now, I think.

[fishmom]

Very nice, both blooms and plant. I have a phal. fasciata with a similar growth habit, but maybe a bit larger. You have to love these phal. species with all their blooms!

[JFeathersmith]

That is really lovely! I'm going to make a note to keep my eyes out for that species.