What orchids attract you?

[SheilaJ]

I would say it is ease of growing, color and foliage, in that order. I grow under lights, in very warm conditions, so I'm pretty limited in what I can grow well. I do well with phals and some phaius, jury is still out on the minicatts, spathoglottis, and dendrobium. I tried a few paphs, but they didn't like my chronic underwatering!

I love unusual colors and markings on flowers. And I like flowers that are long-lasting.

I don't like orchids with ugly foliage - I don't care how pretty their flowers are. Phal foliage usually looks nice, and my special favorites are the ones with mottled and variegated leaves. Phaius foliage looks really nice, like a coconut palm, unless it gets tip burn, which happens to me far too often.

[Serenity]

For me, it is definately color. I stay away from difficult orchids as I am pretty new to grewing.

[margo]

Each and every one is a must have for me...... That is how for less than a mont I have more than 30 and.....the number keeps going up (got one today). I also like the big box rescue mission. I got about 10 half dead phals, onc. and dends and most of them are looking good now (after a week). Their bloom will be my award.

[orchidlady]

I am attracted to pretty much any orchid, but have learned a long time ago to stick with those that grow under my conditions. I tend to really go for the unusual things.

Susan

[Ron-NY]

I have 200 Bulbo species in my collection. So, it is not fragrance that attracts me, LOL. Although the vast majority are not stinkers. I initially got attracted to this genus because of the diversity within the genus and how the genus attracts it's pollinators.

With Catts it is beauty and/or fragrance. I am a sucker for a trumpet-shaped labellum as well.

I am also attracted to odd species and do like to push the envelope and grow things that are a bit of a challenge.

I started with Maxillaria because of fragrance but that also turned into a fatal attraction but not as severe as Bulbos. Most of the Maxillaria now in my collection are not fragrant. Although tenuifolia is opening and love the coconut fragrance of it.

[Jmerk]

I love the shape of the Cattleya canes. I like watching them grow out and up, watching the sheath dry, and then the flower sheath come and the flowers make the plant a KILLER DEAL with big or small waxy or showy flowers with most of them fragrant.

[Alplily NH]

I am a wildflower nut, so I tend to be attracted to species orchids or hybrids with natural, simple, elegant shapes and markings. I don't generally like flowers that have been hybridized to the point they appear almost grotesque -- not a fan of big floof -- they remind me of women who wear too much make-up! Fragrance is a big plus, as is a winter bloom time (I need all the help I can get here in NH), decent substance and long-lasting flowers. Compact growers that like windowsill culture and are not too fussy about watering are a must. And color? I prefer colors other than red and dark orange -- pink/lavender, violet, yellow are all favorites, and pink/orange/yellow combos are great. Sedirea japonica is a perfect example of my tastes!

[maxful96]

Try Laelia tenebrosa. Rusty reds, purples, magenta bronzes. Wildly mysterious