Favorite Phals

[uscalus storm]

Just wondering whats your favorite Phals?

Also, is there a difference between phals or is it just their color?

[orchidlady]

My favorite Phals are the species. I particularly love equestris and cornu-cervi. I could have collections of just those and their many color varieties .

Not sure what you mean by "differences", but Phals can have different colors, shapes, sizes, and textures based on their parentage. Cultural requirements can be slightly different for some (especially species), but are generally similar.

Susan

[muis01]

I like the Phals with waxy flowers most.
Generally they have very vivid colours and can smell very nicely.
They don't have to be species, but I like all specials crossings...
So for me : colours and nice scent.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Phals are nice and some here in this community grow some amazing species phals, but my heart belongs to slippers and cattleyas.

Cheers,
BD

[Cjcorner]

I love Phals...small, medium and large. They are (for me at least) the easiest to rebloom and keep alive. To pick just one as my favorite? I don't think I could choose just one!

[uscalus storm]

You got it exactly right susan, i apologize for my lack of details.

Since i'm still trying to buy phal's ive had a fun time reading through hours of posts. But there are just so many different types of orchids and trying to understand all the science behind everything mentioned may be a little too much for my brain to handle atm.

My reason for wanting orchids is their air purifying ability. I'm only assuming these are on the top of the list because they have exposed roots. I haven't come across anything explaining this entirely.

I wouldnt mind Phals with the most often bloom (which i still haven't got down). I also heard that the species emit a stronger smell?

So i'm not sure which phals i would like to purchase yet so i asked you so i may research and decide

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Michael, check out the post by Hieroglyphica Some great phals posted by this member.

Cheers,
BD

[delilah]

Most of my orchid collection are phals. I started with standard hybrid phals, then moved on to collect novelty and fragrant phals, and now I find myself drawn to mostly mini and compact phals. I am learning more about the species and their natural habitats, and am finding myself more and more attracted to primary hybrids. I also find that I read about (and drool over pictures of) crosses that seem to be within the reach of collectors in Asia and Europe, but which aren't so accessible to us here yet.

[Hieroglyphica]

I absolutely love phals!

My favourites are flowers with yellow or white base and red barring. But I also like yellows and yellow/whites a lot. Most of my collection is made up by amboinensis and its hybrids.
Unfortunately, just those I like most tend to become rather large, especially gigantea-hybrids like David Lim or Jade Gold or Red Jaguar.

If you are looking for some easy to grow and ever flowering species I'd recommend equestris and cornu-cervi. Equestris is available in all sorts of colours and even small keikis may be always flowering.
As for cornu-cervi it's the same, but the plant must have reached a certain size to be easy to grow, small plants have been found to be rather difficult.

Yes, it's true, quite a lot phal. species are fragrant - especially violacea and bellina, but also a lot more (like amboinensis ). Many hybrids lost this smell, but there are some still.

[catttan]

Of all the orchids I have grown, phalaenopsis have proven to be the most frustrating and at times extremely rewarding, when they bloom with multi-branched spikes ( see the fabulous posts from our members in Vietnam).Under the cultural conditions in my grow area, more suited to cattelyas and vandaceous orchids, I have killed more phals than I care to count.
So now I am growing those that are able to survive the existing conditions here; namely cornu-cervi,violacea and bellina, yellows and novelties with amboinensis,venosa , pantherina etc in their parentage. Unfortunately these are mostly plants with a few blooms though they keep on blooming on the same spike for a considerable length of time. A bonus is that these plants also bear waxy flowers with very good substance.

Apart from these I also TRY to grow :-
a) Large showy whites representing the amabilisgroup
b) large showy pinks representing the schillerianagroup
c) small type, hybrids of the Doritis (now reclassified as phalaenopsis
d) novelties/harlequins
e) intergeneric esp renanopsis and asconopsis

At the moment 2 large whites and 3 pinks are surviving; (c) and (d) are gone.
I have already killed 3 Asconopsis Irene Dobkin and 2 Renanopsis.I am trying to replace the last two but they are really difficult to find here.

Michael, I hope this post might help.