Australian cymbidium species

[OrchidLover1982]

Winter temps dip down into the 30's here in Gainesville, FL. I will be moving my collection indoors during the winter to protect them from the bitter cold and frost

i thought florida was warm and frost free we don't get frost where i live but we do get cold nights sometimes down to near freezing temps. Winter days are usually quite warm.

Canaliculatum in my opinion is quite cold tolerant and can tolerate frost. I have seen them growing here southern queensland in areas that get frost and very cold in winter nights in exposed situations but they like a dry atmosphere. The species does have a large distribution so it may be the ones from the southern part of its range are much more cold tolerant. Suave is quite cold tolerant but not as tolerant as canaliculatum. It doesn't really like frost and needs to be protected from it but can tolerate quite low temps. Madidum is definitely the least cold tolerant but would still do well if you protect it from the frosts i would think and prolonged cold periods. Its a hardy and robust plant and grows huge. I have seen plants 2 metres across.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by OrchidLover1982

i thought florida was warm and frost free

It's a big state. The north can gets quite cold (by Australian standards)

Originally Posted by OrchidLover1982

Suave is quite cold tolerant but not as tolerant as canaliculatum. It doesn't really like frost and needs to be protected from it but can tolerate quite low temps.

My suave handle temps down to a couple of degrees below 0oC with light frost and no noticeable setback. It also doesn't mind Melbourne's winter rainfall. I believe my plants are of NSW origin so this may have something to do with the cold tolerance.