Wilsonara Aloha Sparks 'Pele's Glow'
 

This one came home with me today. :D

I've seen similar plants a few times before, but this one stood out to me today.
I knew it was wilsonara of some kind. so I looked up online and in no time, I found out what it's called. Yay!!!!

It has three large peudobulbs. One pb has two spikes loaded with fairly large burgundy red flowers. fragrant as well.
Another pb has one spike growing. Yay!!!!

Also, none of those annoying brown spots on the leaves. and I'm not sure if they sprayed something on the leaves or not, but the leaves on this plant is super shiny like those of phalaenopsis.

Now, anyone who grows wilsonara, please share with me the secrets of how to care for them.

Thank you!

Really nice, love that colour.

I don't grow Wilsonara but I grow similar types of Onc Alliance plants. They like to be kept a little bit more moist than Phals, I actually find it difficult to judge watering as I'm scared of rotting the roots and tend to underwater as a result.

They like it a bit cooler than phals as well. In the summer I put mine out in the green house but in the winter I keep them on a cool window ledge. I give mine about the same amount of light as phals. Not sure if that is right or not but seems to work (my one closest in look to yours is in flower just now :))

They are quite forgiving I think so don't worry too much. If I've managed to experiment and get them to grow I'm sure you will to :)

Thank you, Rosie.
So I should step up on watering. I was going to give them ondicidum care, which for me means slightly drying out in between watering with the exception of twinkle.
I like the low light requirement part. :)

Very nice - I don't have room for them but certainly can admire them in your photos.

Very pretty,congrats:)

I'm afraid I'm really not an expert on Oncidium, but I understood they should be kept slightly more moist than Phals. However I'm always scared to do that and I give them Phal type watering... then I get concertinas on new growths which is a sign of underwatering... I've never worked them out, except that they grow for me... just with the concertinas.

That's a nice one, NYC !!!

More photos...
 

Thank you, everyone! I like this more and more everyday. Now it's been about two weeks since this one came home with me and all the buds are in full bloom and the third spike is growing longer and longer.

I took a shot of the spike today and it's got quite a few sugar dews on it. They are also found on the other two spikes where the flowers attach to the spike. They taste really good! :biggrin:

I also noticed one flower (the one on the right in the picture) has this white streaking on the petal. hmmm....I'm trying not to freak out too much and just enjoy the bloom for now.

Update
 

The third spike that was developing last month is finally showing little dark red buds. They are 8 buds and no signs of branching like the other two spikes.

still excited about it though!

update
 

All the flowers were gone by mid April. It was already growing new shoots, which were peeping out between leaves of mother pbs.
I repotted this one along with my other ondicium hybrids. This one also had tons of noodle like roots, which I cut away half.
I also trimmed some leaves to balance the water loss/uptake due to loss of lots of roots.
The new leaves are still growing and I see new root tips are green, so I guess this one is on the recovery.

would love to see it bloom again!

Orchidman, if you can grow this plant you can grow Miltonopsis. They can be grown side by side. The new Milt. are much more temp tolerant.

hope so. I looked up informations on wilsonara. some of them are warm tolerant but most are cool growing, although I couldn't find out any info regarding this specific hybrid.
It is growing new shoots, so I guess so far so goo. let's wait for the summer. :biggrin:
Have you grown this??

I don't have a clue what the breeding background is behind this white miltoniopsis, but I did find white miltoniopsis that are a bit warm tolerant. Thing is I didn't like that other white one. it is white with light yellow center. I like the brown ink mark on the center of this one. :D

Wilsonara is an intergenric hybrid between Cochlioda, Odontoglossum and Oncidium of which Cochlioda and Odontoglossum are both cool growers.
I have grown this before, they are always available here in our local trader joes. I grew this outdoors here. Temps varies from the 40s in the winter all the way to 80s in the summer. They are very easy as long as no sun burn. I know I like to burn my plants LOL.

Thank you for sharing your growing condition.
Wow~ they must take quite the temperature range. I was worried they would suffer here, but the new shoots have been growing so far, so I will have to see how it does here.

Speaking of Trader Joes, I saw a few of these at Trader Joes in Chelsea last weekend as I was walking by. They were only $12!!! but they were much smaller in size and flower count. so I didn't feel too bad. :)

Ah that was my trader joe! I have dragged many orchids/grocery to my apt. when I lived there!

I didn't know we had Trader Joe in Manhattan. I think I've seen two or three so far.

now with that price, I'm tempted to get one just to enjoy the flowers and the scent. :)

There is another on in Union Square near NYU. But I haven't seen Orchids there.

Hi, all! I just purchased a Wils. Aloha Sparks "Halloween" and was looking for culture info on this thread when I cam across this term: "concertinas on new growths", which has me stumped. This is an old thread, but, Rosie, if you are still here, can you explain? Or anyone? Thanks!!

Crimped, pleated foliage

Yes, exactly as Sonya says. Pleats/crinkles in the foliage.

I still have the same problem, still scared to water then enough and still getting the crinkles :(

Oh I'm so glad you posted about this orchid & concertinas. I think I may be seeing those on my oncidium. I had cut back in watering since it is in sphag & I had read they liked to be a bit dry. The pseudo bulbs look nice & plump though. I'll try to snap a pic. I also need to look up my pics of the flowers, because I think they look a lot like the
Flowers on this one.

Edit: flower is similar. It was a clearance orchid from the Christmas shipment & only one flower was nice enough to snap a pic of, but the pic isn't very good. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/04/12/adu3a9e4.jpg

Sorry to hijack your thread. I actually like the flowers on your wilsonara better.

I was considering moving this guy into Semi hydroponics.

Thank you, Rosie and Sonya! Well, if it helps, the dealer I got this from, Goin to Pot Orchids, says to put it in a pan of tepid water before noon twice a week and let it soak from the bottom.

---------- Post added at 11:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 AM ----------

Leanne, that is a beaut!

I think some of these bloom three (or more) times a year! I hope yours is one of those!