One that you might be able to obtain is Cattleya Horace 'Maxima'

Rhyncholaelia digbyana can kick Horace's p'bulbs! Giant flowers, very frou-frou, powerfully scented. Bonus: they turn into big honking monsters.
Cheers - Nancy

Whee Doggie! Tell us how you really feel about it. I vote for any fragrant large Catt. Some of those old ones are no longer available by name.

H

For just a huge Cattleya, C. warsewiczii. For a relatively more compact species, C. lueddemanniana.

-Cj

I'd say a Blc. Chia Lin.

Awesome red with a cool lip cinnamon spice fragrance.

I don't have one yet because of space, but I want one, and they are pretty common/easy to find.

May I make a suggestion? Most people have color preferences in cattleyas. Go to a website that has lots of pictures and figure out what color(s) you especially like. That would help narrow it down some and we could make more targeted suggestions for you. The link below may be helpful

John :>)

Here is a link that might be useful: Cattleya pics

If I have to grow only one cattleya then I would pick a rare one --- C. Trianaei 'Jungle Feather'. Finding it would be challenge but it's part of the fun when collecting orchids...

Here's a photo from Canaima Orchids site:

{{gwi:138963}}

-Harvey

Here my biggest catt type Calvin......I LOVE this plant, and the blooms beautiful, the smell - sweet spicy!

BLC Chia Lin 'New City'
{{gwi:138964}}

im more partial to the relocated Soph. tenebrosa(formerly L.tenebrosa) but if its a catts we're talking about specifically. then I'll have to say C. poryphaglossa

Thanks for all the recommendations! :D John - great list of catt pics...I will peruse for sure

I love the Chia Lin {{gwi:138965}} and it does smell like heaven but bloom time is short.

My trianaei {{gwi:138966}} blooms for a long time but not very fragrant. But my favorite for long bloom time and beautiful fragrance

C. Bob Betts 'York' {{gwi:138968}} Pristine white with yellow throat - it begs you to stop and take a sniff.

Brooke

I'm with arthurm on this one--C. Horace 'Maxima'. It's colorful. It's big. It's balanced. It's reliable.

I also own two different awarded Rhyncholaelia digbyana. Gimme 'Maxima' if there was ONE to keep.

I just returned from the WOC where there are oodles of C. Horace 'Maxima' to be found in the displays. Gee, I wonder why the world's best orchid displays are so heavily represented with this fine plant? Yeah, timing is part of it. Let's be honest. It's appealing!

--Stitz--

When i saw this Classic (C. Horace 'Maxima') on an orchid listing a few years beck, i had to have it.

This orchid is being used extensively in breeding to produce larger sized Cattleyas from Compact plants.

Wonder how it performs if grown under lights?

An old hybrid, "BB white", if I could find one.

Boby

I'll go with species catts: rex for a large one, and jenmanii for a smaller one -- my jenmenii bloomed a few months ago in a 4 inch pot on two spikes!

Jim

I guess it's a C. Barbara Billingsley, but we called them "BB whites." And if ANYONE know where to get one, I'd be thrilled!

Boby

Boby writes, "An old hybrid, BB White"?

Bob Betts
Bow Bells
Barbara Billingsley--is available from Alvim Seidel. My last price list (2005) shows it available for US$35-

--Stitz--

Thank you VERY MUCH! It was definitely Barbara Billingsley, not one of the other two. I will check out your suggestion right now.
Boby

Alvim has died, but the business seems to be going strong. No Barbara Billingsley on the English page, but I did see it in the Portuguese.....Ah, an adventure!
Boby

One of my favories Blc. Mem Crispin Rosales "Carmela"

Red: Blc. Chia Lin 'Shinsu' AM/AOS
Lavender: Blc. Crispin Rosales 'Trymwood' AM/AOS or C. Horace 'Maxima'
White: C. Ruth Gee 'Diamond Jubilee' FCC/AOS
Yellow: Blc. Amber Glow 'Mid Florida' FCC/AOS
Pink: Blc. Mary Alice Underwood FCC/AOS
Deep Wine: Blc. Oconee "Mendenhall' AM/AOS

Green: Blc. Memoria Helen Brown 'Sweet Afton'.

I know there are "better" Cattleyas but this one is easy to grow
and blooms early summer when there is not much out here.

Rsc. (syn Blc.) Alma Kee 'Tipmalee'. Yellow and red, with an unbelievable lip.

Cattleya Horace 'Maxima' is currently with buds on three, well-spaced spikes. C'mon, February!

--Stitz--

I am on the lookout for C. warsewiczii. If you want large blooms I think that is the way to go.

Approx .... 11 years later .... arthurm wrote: "Green: Blc. Memoria Helen Brown 'Sweet Afton'. I know there are "better" Cattleyas".

Arthurm ---- That's one of my favourites. Although, I'm thinking orchids don't need to be compared for one being 'better' than another. And answering the original post ---- my opinion is - why hypothetically choose one, when we have a chance to grow them all? (If we can get them that is).

Why have you brought this ancient thread back? In my old, old post the better is in quotes because of orchid judging.

Grow what you love. As for growing them all. Lol.

Here is a link, not sorted by size of bloom, but just shows the range of colours, sizes and shape of blooms exhibited over the years here in Sydney, Australia at a local orchid society.

Subtribe Laeliinae Hybrids

arthurm - only just saw your reply post just now. The thread is maybe timeless - so as long as we can communicate ------ then it should be ok to respond to a message that was written say 11 years ago haha. Well - as long as the person is still online to respond that is hehehe.

Thanks very much for sharing that web link! I hadn't even heard of the WSOS before. But now - thanks you to - I know what it is! The photos of the orchids at that site are superb. Delightful pics. I'll bookmark it and will be taking my time to enjoy all the pics there.

A huge thumbs up from me with that photo site there. Thanks very much! Also, now I know what you mean by 'better' ----- as in for orchid competitions. Totally understandable. I grow orchids, but only for pure enjoyment of watching them - not for any 'friendly' rivalry competition. But I think that people having a hobby for competition growing is still nice. Something nice to do. Best regards!

Howdy all,

I'm a species guy. Lots of species. Years ago, on a lark, I decided I needed to get one hybrid cattleya. Odom's Orchids had an ad in the AOS Bulletin with lots of pretty pix. I called them up and asked your very question. The person on the other end of the conversation paused for maybe 30 seconds and said George King 'Serendipity'. It had "something" she couldn't put her finger on. I bought it, sight unseen.

It's my favorite orchid. (Ok maybe Stanhopea beats it.). Gorgeous shape and color, easy to grow for a cattleya, blooms at Thanksgiving and at Christmas, and fills the house with fragrance, even as a cut flower.

So now you know. Go for it! teve H

One of the tasks I have is to go through the WSOS (Western Suburbs Orchid Society Site) and "fix up" many orchid names after the big RHS Name Change. Nice to know that people look at the pics and thank you to the Society members who took all those pics over the years.