Long lasting flowers

16 years ago

Everyone knows that Dendrobium cuthbersonii holds the longevity record for its flowers which last up to 9 month. It usually begins to bloom in the spring and finishes Dec or there abouts. Some people remove the flowers near the beginning of Dec to give the plant a rest and allow it to gather strenght for the next bloom cycle. Dend laveofolium also last a long time.

I have another one to add, Dendrobium bracteosum has been in bloom since the beginning of July and shows no sign of fading. Many species are listed simply as having 'long lasting flowers' but I would like to know specifics about longevity.

Nick

Featured Answer

jane__ny

16 years ago

I have a noid Phal which blooms in Dec. and the flowers last 'forever.' The spike doesn't continue growing rather, the flowers just never die. They are freeze-dried! By the time I cut the spike, the flowers are dusty.

Like having silk flowers, I forget the plant is real.

Jane

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Comments (6)

whitecat8
16 years ago
Here's my list:

6+ months in 2008. Phal Summer Beach (Ken Peterson x Mama Cass)
and
6+ months in 2009.

10 months. Doritaenopsis Kenneth Schubert 'Blue Angel' (Doritis pulcherrima x Phal. violacea) Would have bloomed longer, but I cut off the scraggly, ugly spikes.

6+ months. Ornithocephalus bicornis

13+ months. Phal. Guadalupe Pineda, once known as Phal. Princess Kaiulani (amboinensis 'Pisang Ambon' x bellina 'Whitey') OL 4472 (Orchids Limited, aka OrchidWeb)
highjack
16 years ago
Here are some of mine in continual bloom -

Phrags - Sedenii 'Bowl of Cherries, Mountain Maid, Grande & Praying Mantis - all of these are huge plants and old growths will still be blooming by the time new growths mature.

Angrm. germinyanum - this is always in bloom although the biggest flush starts about now.

Bulb. sulawesii - this is a sequential bloomer and the most you ever get on one spike is two but with multiple spikes it makes quite a display.

Den. tobaense - a cool-er moist grower with old canes blooming while it produces new canes. It has been blooming for over three years.

Phal. cornu-cervi are always in bloom and each set of leaves produces spikes from each side of the leaf. The fasciata also blooms for months on multiple branching spikes. A couple of hybrids that I keep around also are in continual bloom.

Five masdies - Peaches & Cream, two different colored Hampshire Prolific, pterglossa and another one I've totally forgotten the name :>)

Brooke
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orchidnick
Original Author
16 years ago
Some truly last forever. I got a Scaphosepalum verrucosum from SBOE about 10 years ago and it has been in constant bloom ever sine then. There seems to be no blooming season, rather it has multiple spikes with multiple flowers all the time. Nagelelia purpurata also blooms from spring to fall with multiple flowers, some falling off, new ones emerging, it even blooms on the old dry stalks which should never be removed on this plant.

I'm more impressed with individual flowers that last a long time.

Nick
whitecat8
16 years ago
Ah - interesting. To me, "lasts a long time" means the show lasts a long time - from the 1st flower opening to the last one fading, rather than an individual flower hanging around for months. Yeah, true for the Den cuth.
highjack
16 years ago
I also have a couple of Scaphs in constant bloom but didn't mention since you can't see them from a distant of 12".

I'm with you WC, lasts a long time has always meant the display, not individual flower.

Many waxy Phal blooms will last for months - cornu cervi is one of them.

Brooke