If you want to see it in nature,you shouldn't have to travel very far. I have seen large numbers of them in the stunted trees in the backwoods of Jonathon Dickinson State Park. A canoe is probably the best way to go - just go upriver until the water is too shallow to paddle. There are several creeks and a lot of river swamp - one of the most interesting areas in Florida, or at least was when I lived there. Lots of interesting plants and animals.

Tucker

Thanks Tucker. I've been back there a long time ago. My pre orchid days. Thanks for that tip. I will go again. But not now. Places like that in Florida become extremely unfriendly with mosquitos, high humidity and temps. Not fun now. But from Nov. thru April the environment is tame.

With relatively little care they get huge. I grow mine outside bring it into the greenhouse when it starts flowering as the flowers just seem to do better. Fewer of God's little creatures attacking them inside. After it stops blooming I'll put it back outside. The parent of SM's plant was posted a few pages ago. One thing I find interesting about them is that the number of flowers per stem seems to reflect their general state of well being.

Mine was left in peace and made a large number of spikes with as many as 6 flowers per spike before the bottom most started fading. Then the plant went to a couple of meetings, fell over once and got unpotted. In addition to that I removed a large chuck of it, SM's division came from that, Made a couple of other trades and kept a couple of divisions for myself. In other words, life suddenly was not good for the mother plant. Sure enough, after repotting it and attempting to make it happy again, the number of flowers per stem was reduced to 3.

It has been left in peace for a while and I counted flowers this morning. Most have 4 and one looks like a 5th one will open before a fade. I'm therefore convinced that the number of open flowers represent some measure of well being of the plant.

I'd love to see a picture of the in situ plants in Florida. Hopefully with a Burmese Python lurking in the background.

Nick