Vanda coerulea

[MattWoelfsen]

This is my first big plant Vanda--I collect their diminutive cousins--Neofinetia falcata (now in the Vanda alliance). When I got this plant and it flowered, I thought I got a mislabeled plant. But the vendor I bought it from confirmed it was indeed a Vanda coerulea. I was expecting those bright blue, tessalated flowers but instead I got this plant and its off white bluish blossoms.

Your thread confirms I have an original! Here is a picture of my plant.




These pictures are from November 2013. My plant is no longer in bloom--they lasted about a month--but it is growing a lot roots, and a new leaf.

[OrchidLover1982]

That certainly looks like a true coerulea to me. Very nice. They do have a destinctive shape not like the selected bred plants that tend to have a round filled out flower and darker colour. I have had selected plants that look nothing like the real deal coerulea but still had nice flowers. They were also easier and faster growing than the wild form I have and flowered easier and more often.

---------- Post added at 05:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:21 PM ----------

Another better photo. the flower seems to get better after a few days of opening.


DSCF3076 by zorbathegreek1982, on Flickr

[MattWoelfsen]

At the height of the bloom life, my flowers looked exactly like yours--your photo is really very nice.

[OrchidLover1982]

I've been waiting a few years for this to bloom now. Last year it produced a stem but something chewed it off. So its been about 4 years since I have actually seen flowers on this plant.

I've ever seen wild plants from China with such colors.
In the following link, there are some photos of them:
V. coerulea

I can see three plants on that page that appear to be wild forms and the bigger rounded flowered ones would have to be selected line bred clones.

[Chatbud]

I see there are several varieties of V. Coerulea.
Look at this from Jerry Fisher:

OrchidWeb - Vanda coerulea supra (Lord Rothschild's Variety) - YouTube

And from Tommy Ljunggren:

Vanda coerulea.MP4 - YouTube

Do you guys think V. Coerulea can flower at my location? It's easily available at Chiang Mai, the climate of which is much cooler than on at our island, esp. at night and the year-end.

[OrchidLover1982]

Those are nice clones but they are selected ones not wild forms. Still nice flowers. Here is another selected plant. Picture is from my old flickr gallery. I had a silbing plant of this individual that I owned. Flower almost the same as this photo.


Vanda coerulea line bred clone by TheGreenMan1982, on Flickr

and here is another wild form that was growing in someones collection. Photo of the center of the flower. I was really interested to get a photo as I rarely see wild forms of coerulea around.


Vanda coerulea close up by TheGreenMan1982, on Flickr

The wild forms seem to have that distinctive twist in the side petals almost making the flower look like it has wings. The selected plants also have darker more rounded and larger flowers than the wild forms.

I'm now sure about growing Vanda coerulea in tropical lowlands near to the equator. Maybe someone else can tell you how well it will do there. I'm guessing it would do ok if its given adequate air movement. I'm not sure how it responds to daylength in regard to flowering.

[Bud]

The above pictures are all Vanda coerulea....but the variations of the wild one from the green house cultured ones have the same DNA if you have it checked in the lab....I have all of them and a miniature one that grows merely five inches leaf to leaf but gives out a big flower.

*don't fret Orchidlover....as I have seen your plant picture in full....your plant will give out a keiki soon now that it has bloomed for you...

[OrchidLover1982]

Haha I sure hope so. It seems to be doing better now than before.

Yes most of them are indeed coerulea but they are a little removed from the wild form in the flower characteristics. Still nice plants but something about wild forms attract me as they are special. Like if I compare a wild form of Sarcochilus hartmannii with these line bred clones its hard to believe its the same species sometimes. There are some coerulea getting around though claimed to be line bred coerulea which I am suspicious that they have at some point been hybridised. And i'm not referring to any plants posted or mentioned in this topic though.

The first pic in my last post that plant still has the twisted side petals similar to the wild coerulea so its not heavily selected but much darker in colour than any wild form I have seen.

[Chatbud]

Bud, I observe in an earlier comment you're wary if they poached the vanda from the wild? What is your concern other than it's illegal?

[OrchidLover1982]

Couple more photos of the flower. Showing some more flower detail and development of the colour. Just seems to get better with time.


DSCF3080 by zorbathegreek1982, on Flickr


DSCF3079 by zorbathegreek1982, on Flickr