Disappointing Mtssa. Shelob "Okika"

[aliceinwl]

Originally Posted by CZF

Kind of bumping up this old thread, only because I was trying to figure out the difference between the Tolkien and Okika varieties and this came up in my search (thanks for that info!)

Wanted to get my sister a Shelob Tolkien as she's a huge LOTR fan, but she also loves variegated leaves, so maybe she can deal with just having the Shelob part lol)

I'm wondering if it's like the Nelly Isler, where the time of year can affect the colour of the blooms?

Personally, I think it's lovely and very exotic looking

I have one of these too, although mine isn’t Okika. I think SaraJean’s photos accurately represent the color. I think some online vendors up the saturation on their photos leading to unrealistic expectations. The flowers become increasingly purple as they age but I haven’t seen any seasonal variation. I have found mine to be a hardy vigorous plant and I really like the “spidery” orchids so I’m quite happy with it.

[SaraJean]

Originally Posted by CZF

Wanted to get my sister a Shelob Tolkien as she's a huge LOTR fan, but she also loves variegated leaves, so maybe she can deal with just having the Shelob part lol)

That was actually why I had initially picked it up

Originally Posted by CZF

I'm wondering if it's like the Nelly Isler, where the time of year can affect the colour

in the two years since I made this post I tried it growing under different conditions and the colors were either the same or slightly less appealing. One year was slightly shady especially when it was in spike (colors were pretty washed out), and the following year was indoors fairly bright (same colors as original pics). The darn thing really is a super vigorous orchid and I did like the slight variegation on the leaves but I ended up giving it away a few months ago. It was just too big for something I wasn’t totally in love with. Unfortunately, my grow space is pretty small. I do wish I would have taken a picture before I gave it to a friend, it was in a 4” pot in my original post in 2017 and by July ‘19 it was already busting out of a 6” semi hydro pot.

---------- Post added at 08:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:01 AM ----------

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

that said, i really like the blooms and i also love the look of your growing area...very calm and screne

Thank you! It’s definitely gotten a bit more crowded since these pics but it is a pretty nice space to sit and have coffee in the mornings. It’s my little piece of calm amongst the chaos of the French Quarter, lol

---------- Post added at 08:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:05 AM ----------

Originally Posted by aliceinwl

I have one of these too, although mine isn’t Okika. I think SaraJean’s photos accurately represent the color. I think some online vendors up the saturation on their photos leading to unrealistic expectations.

Good point! I honestly would have kept it if space wasn’t an issue, the shape of the flower really is cool and it is a pretty (and hardy) plant

[Ray]

Originally Posted by CZF

I'm wondering if it's like the Nelly Isler, where the time of year can affect the colour of the blooms?

Not the time of year, per se, but temperature and light intensity during bud development can definitely affect color intensity, with cooler & brighter conditions often being the intensifiers.

[SaraJean]

Originally Posted by Ray

Not the time of year, per se, but temperature and light intensity during bud development can definitely affect color intensity, with cooler & brighter conditions often being the intensifiers.

Yep. When it was indoors on a windowsill upstairs with a bit of supplemental lighting, the highest temp it saw was 82° in the day and usually around 68-70° at night, as compared to 100°+ outdoors. The actual colors were about the same but the margins around the colors were much crisper and more defined

[DirtyCoconuts]

I have an Alcra. Pacific Nove ‘hilo star’ that is very similar. Def along the same lineage