Outstanding Vanda Sanderiana Alba

[ManilaByNight]

I just came from the Manila Seedling Bank this afternoon and I saw these two outstanding specimen plants of V. Sandariana Alba on display in one of the commercial stalls. The stall is owned by two friends of mine who are basically into Ferns and Aroids exporting overseas mainly to Singapore. I was told that these plants came from their private collection and was removed from the huge tree trunks in their excellent nursery located in the highlands of Silang, Cavite, Philippines.

These are up for sale and I was literally drooling over these excellent clones which had numerous offshoots of assorted sizes at its base (these could eventually be separated from the mother plant). My two friends were not present that time and I was interested but when I asked the attendant, I was told that the largest plant on the left cost PHP45K (roughly a little below US$1K where the current rate for today is PHP44.35 to the US dollar)! Ohmigosh! I can't afford that so I just smiled and left abruptly as in I was really in shock! I didn't even bother asking for the price of the second but slightly smaller specimen plant as I figured that it wouldn't be so far off from the first one. Guess I'll have to get in touch with my two friends and try to haggle for a smaller plantlet without flowers as long as it comes from the same mother plant and something that I can afford.

Sorry if the two close-up photos (first and last shots) are blurry ..... that was caused by the shock I had when I learned of the selling price. My hands were trembling with envy, lust and shock! LOL!

The second (long-shot) photo though is clear.

[Cjcorner]

Ah yes...to find such a beauty and to be so expensive as to not even be able to afford a tiny piece. Been there...it's lovely to have an opportunity to see and photograph them. Then you can carry the memory for a long time.

[gardenguysorchids]

Beautiful vandas! I hope you can get a start.

[delphiguy]

Jojo, these are beautiful but the price? oh my gosh... they're prices are really expensive. I remember I saw a Paph for Php 50K. I
hope you can haggle for a small division of these plant. Anyways, Silang Cavite is more of
a Lowland-Intermediate than a Highland, but yeah I read that sanderiana does quite well in
colder climes.

BTW if you happen to get a division of these, I'd love to have one as well..

[catttan]

Even from the blurred pix I can see that they are truly outstanding clones, but unless I were a breeder I wouldn't pay those prices.I have seen mericlones of some excellent sanderiana, both the pink and alba varieties, that sell for a fraction of the price you quoted.

[ManilaByNight]

Jojo, these are beautiful but the price? oh my gosh...
BTW if you happen to get a division of these, I'd love to have one as well..

Hopefully I'll be seeing them tonight as we are the usual early-birds-at-dawn collectors who meet up with the vendors from Quezon province and I'll try my luck. I'm anticipating that the division will still be pricey but not as astronomically expensive as the mother plant (hopefully).

[ManilaByNight]

Even from the blurred pix I can see that they are truly outstanding clones, but unless I were a breeder I wouldn't pay those prices.I have seen mericlones of some excellent sanderiana, both the pink and alba varieties, that sell for a fraction of the price you quoted.

Yes Yew, I know what you mean but I'm a sucker for these outstanding alba forms. There's still hope as I try my luck later when I meet up with my two friends who own the plants. I'm happy to settle for a 5-inch tall keiki division from the mother plant without flowers for a fraction of the cost. Eventually with TLC, this will grow and bloom in no time. (Keeping my fingers crossed).

[Tmai]

OM, can you imaging spending all that money and then losing the plant to some unforseen incident? That's why I don't spend big bucks on glass scupture - I would surely break it before getting it home. But that vanda makes me DROOL......

[boyong]

my wild guess is from arids and aroids? the stall is in between purificacion's and vic chin's?

i saw some vandas hanging on their trees the last time i was there, but i can't recall exactly what variety. good luck hope you get the small division

[blrnut]

Wow! very beautiful plant, for 1K though!