Friday, May 7, 2010

Beallara Marfitch "Howards Dream" orchid




This beautiful orchid from my collection is one of the interesting hybrids from the orchid world - it's intergeneric hybrid between Miltonia, Brassia, Cochlioda and Odontoglossums and it's currently in flower.

The blooms are really quite large and spectacular and the color is purple-grape tones with many interesting white markings on the petals. The flower spikes are quite long with about 6 to 8 very large flowers, all seems to maturing and opening at different times, giving extending flowering time.

I've had this orchid a few years now and while it's not difficult to cultivate, it does have it's own specific requirements - it's rather sensitive to strong light and prefers shadier situations either in greenhouse or under the trees, especially in summer. It likes a lot of watering while new lives and flower spikes maturing, following by drier cycles, it likes to be warmer in our winter months with a lot's of air circulating around it.
When growing conditions are perfect, it would flower twice a year - in mid autumn as now and in mid spring, showing off it's spectacular huge purple flowers that lasts for about 6 weeks.

This is one of the orchids that can present quite a challenge and beautiful discovery rewards to an orchids lover, but when all elements come together in a growing cycle, it shows it's magnificent, special blooms.


8 comments:

  1. wow it sure is a little treasure and I'm sure you are delighted that you can get it to flower twice a year - thats some achievement considering how difficult a plant it is to grow successfully.

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  2. That's a lovely orchid ... gorgeous colour. Looks like yours is quite happy ... you've obviously got the conditions just right.

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  3. aloha,

    thats quite a combination hybrid of four distinct species, i can see the two stand out more the milt and the brassia...quite striking - thanks for sharing this.

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  4. Beautiful, but as you say looks tricky.

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  5. Klaraau01,
    We are so happy you found our blog! It just so happens Jamie is a big fan of orchids and it looks as though he will learn alot from your site. --Randy

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  6. Hello! What a beautiful orchid! I'm always amazed at your blooms!

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  7. Thank you all for allowing me to share with you this beautiful orchid

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  8. Thank you so much for this information. I just bought one of these particular orchids, and this is the only webpage that I found to have information on exact preferences of the "howard's dream" orchid. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This will help me cultivate mine.

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