Orchid of the day: Angraecum sesquipedale

Angraecum sesquipedale

Our Madagascan beauty blooming in winter with three flowers. I've posted about this orchid rather frequently in my blog but it never fails to amaze me how unique this orchid is. My first post was on January 27, 2014. In my post on February 5, 2017, I went in depth measuring the spurs, which I found very interesting. The fact that there exist a specialist moth to pollinate this orchid, is fascinating!

A) January 16, 2019. One flower in bloom, while two more buds pending.

B) Indoors in this cold winter.

C) A week later, all three flowers were blooming.

D) A closer look of the three flowers.

E) The flowers are crisp white with very long spurs.

The flowers are rather delicate. The tips of the petals tend to brown rather quickly. We kept this orchid in the basement and try not to move it around too much as temperature change will affect these flowers.

Orchid of the day: Rhyncostylis gigantea

Rhyncostylis gigantea

This Vanda-like pure species comes from Southeast Asia and is a very slow-grower. Rhyncostylis gigantea is very popular because there are many colour varieties. The flowers are very long-lasting with pleasant fragrance and its bloom season is right in the middle of the cold months of January-February.

We acquired this orchid in 2015, and it began to flower in 2018, see my post from February 11th, 2018. Aside from being a slow-grower, this orchid is a rather easy plant to care for as long as it can grow in moderate light with not too cold temperatures year round. This time, our Rhyncostylis gigantea has twenty six flowers and doing well.

A) Our Rhyncostylis gigantea on December 30th, 2018.

B) A close up of the developing buds.

C) Twenty five flowers in full bloom today.

D) A closer look at each of the purple and white flowers.

E) Another angle of the flowers up close.

Until my next post, as usual, have a great week.