Seidenfadenia mitrata
 

This one got its third flower spike this year, but the first two aborted. Ants just go totally mad for the spikes, and I have a feeling the spikes aborted because of the ants. When I discovered this one (already with ants on it), I sprayed with Provado, which seems to have done the trick. The spike still got a little damaged, but I love it!

It is lovely!

When did it start sending the first spike out?

Ted, the first two spikes showed at the end of March. The roots and plant grew well already. The 3rd spike appeared a month ago.

What pretty flowers... glad you managed to get this last spike to open.

Congratulations on your blooms. They're beautiful.

Ants probably had little or no effect on your earlier spikes. It's hard to escape ants when growing chids outdoors in Central Florida and I commonly see them on the new growths and buds of all my chids.

I think some vandas just have a hard time developing their first spikes and I've seen posts from other OB members describing the same problem. I have one noid vanda that initially aborted it's first 4 -1" spikes, but the next 5 spikes developed without a hitch. My avatar is a photo of her blooms.

I love the shape of those flowers !!

Congrats.

Also has a lovely and quite intense scent! @Junebug: maybe you are right re the flower stalks aborting. We will see next year.

Scented too? Thats, a wonderful thing!

Your plant has got the hang of it now, so she might surprise you with more blooming sessions before next year. ;)

Any tips for a new owner of this? I just got one from a local florist and recently ID it. Flowers started to open only 2 days ago.

1. Does this need a rest period?
2. How often do they flower?
3. how to propagate this?

Btw, i live in the tropics and have sunny weather throughout the year.

Any tips would be most appreciated.

> 1. Does this need a rest period?
In their habitat they have a drier peried in winter, although the plants shouldn't be dry for too long as in their native habitat they get misted frequently. Temperatures are also slightly cooler. Otherwise you grow them like Vanda's.

> 2. How often do they flower?
Usually once (March-June), although I found that depending on the weather you can get a succession of flower stalks. Mine isn't doing anything yet this year )-:

> 3. how to propagate this?
From seed; when the plant gets larger it may get side-shoots and you can divide, but that may take a long time.