Cattleya percivaliana alba (& more)
 

Hey again guys!

This is my first time blooming a cattleya percivaliana (oddly enough, it seems a bit ahead of the expected, but flowers are flowers nonethless). Can't say I regret getting it, though the thought crossed my mind before I saw it in bloom - I've seen A LOT of comments regarding the 'unpleasant smell' and oftentimes small flower size. Mine turned out not to have either of those flaws, I guess - smells faintly like tangerines and the flowers are about half the size of the plant (~14cm flowers, ~25cm plant), and they look quite cute. It's pretty high up my favourites list now, really.

Also blooming, there's a cattleya Eximia and a wonderful maxima. Soon enough, a sophronitis (unidentified but possibly brevipedunculata), laelia rubescens, encyclia fowliei and psychopsis mariposa - I'll post some pictures when they open up!

Lovely. It did bloom early, didn’t it? I guess it didn’t want to compete with the Christmas tree or poinsettias!

The maxima is breath-taking!

I'm not sure if it's uncommon for this particular plant though it did surprise me to see the buds forming a couple weeks ago - guess I won't have any open flower for Xmas this year... XD

Also, here are a few more pics of the maxima (one from when it was opening, the other in a different light but fully open already)!

The lip on that maxima! I’d take that plant off your hands any day, haha😀

You just need MORE C. percivalianas.:biggrin: seeing yours, I had to go check on mine. I have 3 culitivars, all tipo, that go at different times. The first has a very fat sheath, I expect buds in the next week or two. The one that is usually last, is barely starting its sheath. Now, I think I need an alba! Along with their beauty, I love the species because the flowers are long lating - 6-8 weeks is not unusual. And for me, as outdoor grower, they are also very cold-tolerant. I think it is my favorite Cattleya specues, And C. maxima has that fantastic lip.

As soon as the permanent greenhouse is built, that'll be one of my first goals, ahahah! Funnily enough, I have 1 tipo that came from Brazil that completely skipped blooming this year (it was my first attempt at seeing a flower, but failed miserably...) and 1 really small coerulea seedling that is loving the extra sunlight in the temporary greenhouse (but is still barely 15cm tall, ahahah). It isn't too easy to find percivalianas for a decent value in Europe though...

The one from Brazil is still probably a bit confused. (Depending on what part of Brazil it came from... it's a big country...)
Maybe next year... In general, I have found that it can take several years for plants that have grown in the southern hemisphere to get their seasons straightened out. So depends on how far south its origin.

I think it’s probably mine too; so nice to have frilly Catt blooms in gloomy winter. Only thing I would change about percivaliana is the fragrance of most of them—ranging from YECCH to tolerant spicy. Percivaliana is definitely not the star of Catt frangrances…

I never noticed a fragrance strong enough to even pay attention to. Not one of the fragrant floofy Catts of course, but uniquely charming.

It there’s a Catt bloom around—my nose is stuffed in it! I’m addicted.