they are supposed to start out yellow/orange and fade to white/pink. i have one, for over a year now, but no blooms because every time it is close i accidentally snap the stem off. i have a couple lake view hybrids, and they are all very brittle for epidendrum. i'm constantly knocking off leaves or snapping stems by just slightly moving them. i guess a side defect of the larger flowers and shorter growths. you cannot bend the stems at all! but flower size and colors on this family of hybrids are wonderful. i also have lake view #775 and it stays orange and yellow.