HUGE Phalaenpsis-'Pink Twilight'

[kiwiorchids]

This is my 15 year old beaut! almost as old as i am! I got this phal orchid 3 years ago from a vendor at the local farmers market, and he said that he had grown it from seedling and decided it was time. It had a spike about half the size of this. Last two seasons however, it hasnt bloomed, and 6 months ago, i found out where those lost blooms went! INTO THIS!

about 2 months ago, it produced a branch, then another and another and another! now i have 11 of them and over 70 buds on this beaut, and the only care i have given it is the usual bright position and water. no ferts or anything. I am so happy!

btw, im not 100% sure of the ID of this, can anyone verify for me?

[kiwiorchids]

Hold on, after a quick search on google, i found this that seems to resemble it better!

Phalaenopsis schilleriana 'Pink Butterfly'

[Halloamey]

A Huge and old Phal for sure ! What a stunning display it has put up for you ! COngrats, you have definitely the right temperature and light regimen for the plant. But I would suggest you start feeding the plant now. Having so many blooms needs a lot of energy and growth. The effects of not feeding it will not be evident immediately, but the plant will keep absorbing nutrients from the oldest leaves, if you do not feed it, it will just recycle the nutrients and loose its older leaves. About the id. I am afraid I can`t help much, but it doesn`t look like a species, most probably a hybrid. How are the leaves coloured, schilleriana and its hybrids tend to have mottled foliage.

[kiwiorchids]

Ok here are the leaves.





The flowers were the similarity, almost identicle, so thats what i based the ID on.

[kiwiorchids]

Ok forget 'Pink Butterfly', i looked up more and the blooms are very different! :0 i need an ID for the show !

[Halloamey]

Jordan, I think it is almost impossible to know the correct Id. without some help from the nursery grower who cultivated it from a seedling. Instead of trying to match it to some other orchid I would say you can name it on your own and present it at the show, it is still possible to get an award for cultural excellence and then name it. The naming has become a norm now, but many older hybrids from the olden days have no known parentage and have been used extensively for hybridisation.

Ok forget 'Pink Butterfly', i looked up more and the blooms are very different! :0 i need an ID for the show !

[kiwiorchids]

Jordan, I think it is almost impossible to know the correct Id. without some help from the nursery grower who cultivated it from a seedling. Instead of trying to match it to some other orchid I would say you can name it on your own and present it at the show, it is still possible to get an award for cultural excellence and then name it. The naming has become a norm now, but many older hybrids from the olden days have no known parentage and have been used extensively for hybridisation.

OK i will have a go Thanks Amey. Failing that, i will use the original 'Pink Twilight' name the grower i got it off had on it.

[kiwiorchids]

How about Phal 'Cherry Blossom' or Phal 'Apple Blush' or something cheesy like that?

[Halloamey]

For. eg. Cattleya Lembera it has been registered with unknown parentage in 1919 by someone named C.J. Philips. It is parent of Rhyncholaeliocattleya Dorothy Drury-Lowe. Rlc. Dorothy Drury-Lowe is a parent of 2 offspring Rlc. Brocade and Rlc. Jane Helton. These two plants are parents of 108 hybrids which are some of the main Rlc. hybrids in the business and parents of countless other hybrids. So I think if a plant is extremely wonderful in some criteria, people will be willing to accept it without a pedigree LOL.

[kiwiorchids]

For. eg. Cattleya Lembera it has been registered with unknown parentage in 1919 by someone named C.J. Philips. It is parent of Rhyncholaeliocattleya Dorothy Drury-Lowe. Rlc. Dorothy Drury-Lowe is a parent of 2 offspring Rlc. Brocade and Rlc. Jane Helton. These two plants are parents of 108 hybrids which are some of the main Rlc. hybrids in the business and parents of countless other hybrids. So I think if a plant is extremely wonderful in some criteria, people will be willing to accept it without a pedigree LOL.

Hopefully that is the case. I am kind of hopeing someone will offer to buy it off me, but also dreading that outcome at the same time...The reason is, well, you may have seen my FB status.