Cattleya lawrenceana

[Rosim_in_BR]

This is mostly a Venezuelan Cattleya, but it is found in Brazil also. It is not common in cultivation here, maybe due to its relatively poor form. Some say that the caerulea variety of this species is the deepest ‘blue’ ever found in Cattleyas. I saw one some years ago and I can say that it is really impressive. The trumpet-like lip is a distinctive characteristic of this species.
My plant needed to be repotted last year, but it didn’t like the new medium at all (from tree fern fiber to a mix of coconut fiber, shredded pinecone and charcoal! I thought that I was loosing it, but it has been adapting well after all. It is not so healthy as it used to be, so the flowers are not at their best, too.