It's all about Ravens

11 years ago

Dracula Raven was first made by John Leather some time ago. it's a cross between Dracula vampira amd Dracula roezlii. Since those first heady days it has been recrossed and backcrossed numerous times using different strains of vampira and different strains of roezlii. None have been cloned so an additional difference in expression is the seedling factor. None are really the same. Numerous have been awarded and one can see the dominance of one or the other of the parents in the flowers of the particular cross. I have 10 of them at this point, one is an FCC, the others are seedlings with 2 distinct separate set of parents. About 1/2 are unbloomed seedlings so there is an element of anticipation what they'll look like.

As always it is hard to photograph black flowers, they always seem to turn out brown, this first one is no exception. It is a deep black which my camera cannot capture. It is Dracula Raven (Vampira 'Walter' x roezlii 'San Francisco') #8. I added the #8, it is not part of the official name of the plant.

Nick

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Comments (15)

orchidnick
Original Author
11 years ago
Good work ethics, 3 spikes. The wing span is 10". It does not have the brownish tings seen here.

Nick
arthurm
11 years ago
You have to wonder how black would attract a pollinator. Maybe they appear different in various types of light?
Anyway, thank you for the post. In forty years of orchid growing, show going etc. etc. I have only seen one live Dracula.
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shavedmonkey (Harvey in South Fl.)Z10b
11 years ago
Striking! A curiosity for me as they do not like living here.
orchidnick
Original Author
11 years ago
The reason you never see them at shows or even at orchid meetings is that the flowers collapse within an hour after they leave their cool, humid greenhouse. I have taken them to meetings in an ice chest with water and ice cubes to provide both cold and high humidity. Our meeting starts at 7 and ends at 10. Usually by 9 people are finished telling each other how great a grower they are and about that time I'll hang them up for a brief view to be enjoyed by the chosen few.

I had one funny incident when I brought a Drac Raven with 3 beautiful flowers to a species club meeting and showed it, which is OK for primary hybrids. At the end of the meeting the speaker announced that it was his 'Speaker's Choice'. The president went: But, but, but, but, it's a hybrid. The speaker just commented that he was asked to pick his choice and that was it. So in the next newsletter this hybrid was displayed as the speaker's choice of a species society. Despite that, the world kept turning and Michelle Bachman is still stark Raven mad.

Nick
PRO
Whitelacey
11 years ago
It's Bachmann.
jane__ny
11 years ago
That flower is just incredible. Never saw a black.

Jane
orchidnick
Original Author
11 years ago
This is #4. Parents are different, the vampira is 'Elena' not 'Walter'. Not as black, more stripes visible.

Nick
inga007
11 years ago
A lovely duo.
Sheila
11 years ago
Awesome blooms!
jane__ny
11 years ago
Ohhh, I live the 'parents' too. How lucky you are!

Jane
orchidnick
Original Author
11 years ago
#5 is in bloom and it is different from all the others. Again, Elena is one of the parents. The photos show the true color which is a deep reddish brown. This is not the camera falsely representing a black flower. This one shows no stripes at all, a very smooth uniform color.

Nick
orchidnick
Original Author
11 years ago
A good size and good shape.

Nick
orchidnick
Original Author
11 years ago
Side view, fairly flat.

Nick
Darlene (GreenCurls)
11 years ago
All are incredible. I wish I had the ready environment to grow them. I am barely hanging in with my Masdevallias, despite growing them on the low side of intermediate. I think it is a humidity issue.

So thank you for posting these for us to enjoy.
inga007
11 years ago
I second the motion: Thank you for sharing your lovely blooms.