Phaius tankervilliae
I've been watching this plant carefully - tall spikes always do well at shows - it is so difficult to get a best species or whatever, with a small ( dwarf) plant, and it's my local Society show this coming Saturday. The first flowers started opening 3 weeks ago and are now showing signs of age , so I expect the plant as a whole will be just past its best by Saturday . However, I have another ( they are divisions of a large plant I split up 2 years ago , sold a couple of pieces, kept two) and the other one is a week or two behind, and although the spikes are not so tall - there are two on the latest bulb - they will be much fresher flowers and perhaps as many flowers too. I will use one in the " other species" class, and put the other with a couple of other plants in one of the other classes - " three other species" or that kind of thing. ( "Other" means, apart from Oncids, Paphs, Catts etc, where there are specific classes ).
Spike just over a metre tall - 42 inches. Natural spread of flowers 5 inches.
I find they grow best for me in sphagnum moss.
Reply With Quote
