Vanda coerulea

[OrchidLover1982]

Here is my Vanda coerulea I bought it as a wild form of the species when I got it. It's quite different to the other selected bred ones I have had. Flower is smaller more delicate and plant is more fussy. Dropped half of its flower buds in the heatwave we had. Its also very fussy to flower. Flower stem is very upright. It had 6 flowers on the stem (but only the 3 last ones made it through the heat wave). Has anyone seen a wild form of the species similar to this individual?


DSCF3069 by zorbathegreek1982, on Flickr


DSCF3068 by zorbathegreek1982, on Flickr

[pheli]

I've ever seen wild plants from China with such colors.
In the following link, there are some photos of them:
V. coerulea

[OrchidLover1982]

Very interesting. Thanks for that link. It does resemble the wild form on that page particularly the one at the bottom of the page.

It rarely flowers for me. I always look forward to seeing it flower. It was fussy to grow in the shadehouse but does quite well outside (must be due to greater air movement) just rather slow growing. Its quite a large plant now but I have yet to see a single keiki form at the base of the plant.

[Bud]

I have that exact plant as I have posted in my past thread and you can find pictures in my album....I got my wild coerulea from a Thai seller and I was wary if they poached it from the wild. I also have the deep blue large flat flowers and the almost miniature short leafed one.
They are tolerant to cold temperatures up to 45F ....so I do not expose them to over 90F....these kind needs moisture and high humidity that's why I invested on a one gallon electric humidifier with an oscillating fan.

[OrchidLover1982]

If it is a truly wild form I was hopeful to maybe self pollinate it and get pods some day given that the orchid is getting scarce in the wild it would be wise to multiply these wild types. This orchid is one of my most cherished in my collection. If only I have another wild plant I could do an outcross but at the moment that's not possibly unless I can find someone with another wild plant to get pollen. Here is another photo top view of one flower.


DSCF3072 by zorbathegreek1982, on Flickr

[Bud]

Right, you can always self it....just to preserve your plant specie....but then; they always produce basal keikis....your plant seems young maybe in a couple of years it will keep on producing keikis that you yourself will get sick of....

[OrchidLover1982]

I'll get a photo of the whole plant soon. Its a good size but doesn't seem to want to produce any basal keiki

[WhiteRabbit]

Lovely!

[OrchidLover1982]

Thanks

This is the whole plant. Hasn't produced a single basal keiki in its lifetime yet but looking healthy. Nice upright flower stem

[pheli]

Originally Posted by OrchidLover1982

Very interesting. Thanks for that link. It does resemble the wild form on that page particularly the one at the bottom of the page.

Yes, the photo of this page just shows the bloom of wild plant from China. Those plants seems to like cool summer and they do not do well here and therefore they are seldom grown recently.