Paphiopedilum Dark Surprise

[bench72]

That dorsal colour is fantastic!!! next blooming try tilting the plant on a 45degree angleso the flower is facing the ground when it starts to open... i've used that trick a couple of times on my paphs.

and glad to see another become a paph enthusiast

[Bikerdoc5968]

Some say by turning the back side of the dorsal to the light will make it stand up more...hasn't happened for me, yet.

[Meg25]

Great colors and substance to that bloom, and I bet the next blooming will be formed normally.

[Becky15349]

Rob this is great!! Since you've only had this plant since october, it hasn't really had enough time to acclimate to your conditions. This can take usually 6-12 months depending on how similar youe environment is to the one you bought it from. All I can say is, great job, and once the plant sorts itself out, the next bloom will rock!
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[Tmai]

That dorsal colour is fantastic!!! next blooming try tilting the plant on a 45degree angleso the flower is facing the ground when it starts to open... i've used that trick a couple of times on my paphs.

and glad to see another become a paph enthusiast

Interesting. I'll try this. I love the dorsal color too, especially the first pic. Thanks for sharing, Rob.

Tami

[Orchidzrule]

Thank you all for the encouraging comments about how the next bloom may look better, as well as the techniques to "coax" it to do so. I certainly have some things to try out. I'm glad I posted this because I learned something. There's such a wealth of knowledge on this forum.

I'm now thinking about what Paph I should next try adding to my collection! There are so many choices--some absolute stunners, others uniquely weird but fascinating. If I bloom any others, I'll certainly post some photos, and I'll definitely post this plant's next bloom!

Cheers,
Rob