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A List of Mini Cattleyas
Hi y'all! I grow mostly Oncidium and Phalaenopsis orchids, but after getting an Encyclia to bloom under my east facing window supplemented with lights, I'm wanting to try my hand at some Cattleyas. I currently have one that looks like it will be re-blooming as well...really excited!
Here's my issue though, I don't really have a lot of space, and the Cattleya I have is taking up tons! So I'm hoping y'all could give me some suggestions on some names of varieties that stay small. I'd love to know if said variety you might suggest is fragrant and if it blooms more than once a year, but I'll take what I can get :biggrin: |
A List of Mini Cattleyas
It's pretty obvious that you're not yet a "true" orchid grower yet.
Sure, one strategy is to look for smaller plants, but a real orchidist would be looking for more space! |
I guess your phalaenopsis or oncidium plants have pots in the 9-12 cm range (no 8, 12 or 16). You can grow a C. jenmanii or C. mossiae in such a pot, if you keep an eye to avoid unwanted phototropism on a windowsill. The options are more numerous with hybrids as mass producers focus on the mentioned pot sizes.
On the other hand, small is not always beautiful in the orchid universe. Small pots dry out quicker hence need more effort for a stable growing environment. Finally, big flowers -orchid or not- mostly need big pots. Quote:
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Check Sunset Valley Orchids where you will find a number of mini and compact Catts: Sunset Valley Orchids - Superior Hybrids for Orchid Enthusiasts
I also really like my Caulocattleya [Clty.] Chantilly Lace which is not too large and blooms on every growth, regardless of season. It is scented, but not my favourite Cattleya scent. Not repulsive or anything tho. There are lots of compact hybrids that will bloom easier than species Catts on a windowsill. The only problem is having long enough days in winter for most Catts. It would be better to add some T5 or LED lights on a timer to a shelf. |
I got rid of all my large Cattleyas, including the beloved mossiae, because of the space constraints and now have:
C. dolosa, C. walkeriana, C. Mini Purple, L. pumilia, C. aclandiae, Pot. Hawaiian Prominence `America' AM/AOS, Cattleya Your Mine 'NN'. All are fragrant and small. The problem with many Cattleyas for those without much space is the once-a-year blooming, especially when the blooms last only a few weeks. Try to look for something small that blooms multiple times a year and has blooms that last a while (like the Pot. Hawaiian Prominence). Good luck! A really nice small Cattleya is Soph. cernua. It isn't fragrant and only blooms once a year but it is really cute out of bloom, too. |
The whole sophronitis genus is really cute and very compact. They can be tricky to grow, however.
I recommend Gold Country Orchids. They have lots of miniature Slc. Hybrids (S being sophronitis). Most bloom several times a year, though I've found most Slc's are not fragrant. You might get lucky though Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
I second the Sunset Valley Orchids suggestion. Fred Clarke says he tries to breed smaller Cattleyas that are vigorous, with many blooming more than once per year.
Most red-orange mini Cattleyas are descended from the miniature Sophronitis cernua, already mentioned, which taxonomists now call Cattleya cernua. You will see it both ways. This species has flowers in the red-yellow color range. These plants tend to do better with lower temperatures than Catts without C. cernua ancestry. Also the small purple, pink or white Cattleya walkeriana figures in the background of many smaller Cattleyas. When you cross spring-blooming species with fall-blooming species you can get plants that might bloom in any season. Also, Carter and Holmes is now offering several small Cattleya hybrids they say bloom multiple times per year if grown fairly warm. Seedlings from Carter and Holmes may be fairly small, so you have to be willing to wait a year or two for blooms, but the plants I have bought from them have grown well. |
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I think you mean Sophronitis coccinea. S. cernua is not used in miniature hybridizing very often. |
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C. luteola is supposedly the smallest catt. It's so so cute, and is supposed to be fragrant.
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