Ouch!

Your bloom is lovely. How big can they get?

Gorgeous pouch. Love the deep color,

How come they are so expensive? Limited seed in pods? Slow growers?

When they were discovered in a very limited area, the site was raped and the creek banks denuded before they became protected. People went to jail for illegal activity. After the dust settled 3 groups of 5 plants were distributed to 3 growers.

5 went to Peru Flora/ Orchids Unlimited/ Piping Rock Orchids / Chuck Acker/ Lucky Girl Orchids. Obviously not all at the same time but these vendors sell and trade to each other and all have the offspring of the original 5 plants that, I believe started with Peru Flora. This group of plants got the most FCCs and other awards and produced the stunning photographs. I have a BS one from Lucky Girl Orchids and a seedling with 2 strong growths from this group. I will get some more of their seedlings.

A second set of 5 went to someone who killed them.

The 3rd set went to ??? and the Ecuagenera plants came from this set. They seem to be of lesser quality and mine came from there and is at best a mediocre quality flower which would never be considered for an award. It should be larger and the petals rounder and fuller. This group has garnered fewer awards.

Seattle Orchids has some for sale as does Orchid Zone, I don't know which group they originated from. Price wise there is a huge difference in pricing. Seatlle Orchids asked $400 for a blooming sized plant. Lucky Girl Orchids $250, Acker apparently similar, both have strong seedlings with a robust growth and multiple new starts for $100. Peru Flora is similarly priced. Ecuagenera also $250. Orchids Limited and Piping Rock prices are easy, just add a 1 or 2 in front of the above prices.

I also learned that these plants like to be watered with basic water. Ph 8 is ideal. My RO Ph is 6.6 which will eventually lead to a decline of the plants. I need to set up a watering can where I will adjust the Ph to 8. Deteriorating bark leads to an acidic media which will also lead to a decline in the plants. I need to switch to a completely inert media, perlite, charcoal, small lava rock is an example.

Now you understand why they are expensive. Never have been cloned, don't know if they won't allow themselves to be cloned or if no one has done it. Would certainly bring the price down.

This is my very superficial concept of the Kovachii universe. If someone has more precise or contradicting information, please share, I won't be offended, need to learn more about these guys. Peru Flora, BTW will be at Redlands in a week or two and will have some of these plants with them.

Nick

Nick. Thanks for the information. For those of us with tiny pockets these are amazing prices. But, just going on population the US market is 15 times the one here.

Amazing colour on your plant, pity the shape wasn't up to scratch.

I guess the non mericloning problem extends to all Paphiopedilum relatives.

Did any of them make it over there? Today at a species meeting I showed my yellow Drac gorgona. Also cannot be cloned and this particular plant will also not breed. It has had NO yellow offspring. Every yellow gorgona world wide is a division of the one and only mutation found in the Columbian forest 15 to 20 years ago. Any of them make it to you guys?

Nick

At least the kovachii can be imported in a flask, the yellow gorgona does not give you that option.

Nick

This orchid is featured in this months AOS magazine section "Orchids in Art" Along with some dark history...

What a beautiful color and interesting story.

Nick, does the information about the PH refer only to this particular Phragmipedium or to the whole family?

Only to this one. To see a picture of a truly stunning one and a description of the culture go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP7mPM69UxQ

Nick

Wow, you truly get an idea of the size of the orchid in the video seeing a person handling it!

It also gives you an idea that mine is a mediocre flower. To get a previously bloomed beauty like the one he is holding still costs thousands of dollars. Also not that of the ones that are visible, the one he is holding is by far the best one. The poor man's version is to get a bunch of seedlings for about $100 each from that group of plants and hope that one of them will hit the mark.

Nick

That's why I sell plants on eBay, so that I can comfortably plunk down a wad for a beauty like this and not have to eat dog food for a month or two!

Nick

I think your plants' bloom is beautiful. The color on that pouch is lovely. The specimen in the video is stunning, but I think you have a phrag that any of us would love in our collections.