Phrag. Living Fire

[Piper]

My Phrags were struggling until I learned how wet most wanted to be. I set those that had no caudatum lineage in trays of water back in March, and last month my Phrag. Living Fire 3N (Sorcerer's Apprentice 4N 'Fantastic' x besseae 'Orange Delight' AM/AOS) started a spike!

I've had the plant for nearly three years, and it's gotten massive since the 'wet feet' treatment. Needless to say, I've been anxiously awaiting it's first blooming. This will be my first Phrag to bloom that I didn't buy in spike or already blooming. So it affirms that I've finally gotten the culture right. Always a nice affirmation!

I have a new appreciation for 3N and 4N size! This one's a porker! I'll save the Hollywood photo shoot till I have more buds open. But the first bloom opened Friday and is a full 4" across and the spike is 35" tall at the first bloom!

Julie

[Jmoney]

excellent growing! these guys really love water!

[ABro]

That does look alot like that phrag that I posted a picture of earlier.

[Piper]

It certainly looked like that to me too, Aaron.

In my experience, screwed-up tags carry some measure of truth. There may be typos and mispellings, clonal names can get mixed in with grex names, or parents can get mixed in with grex names. But there's usually some twisted sense to it.

That's why I'm fairly sure with an SA tag, we were looking at an SA offspring, and it most closely resembles SA x besseae = Living Fire.

I'm including some other Living Fire photos that I've shamelessly boosted from the Web.

Julie

[Tmai]

So beautiful! What an appropriate name, too. Congrats, Julie on a happy orchid!

[Mehera]

Julie, I can see that you have it in a window--how much light is it getting? Just wondering because my phrags haven't rebloomed yet; they are in s/h.

[Hoa Tony Nguyen]

What a lovely bloom!
There is something about an orchid bloom in solitude to be admired! All the attention concentrates onto a single flower.

Cheers. Hoa.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Very well grown, Julie!

Cheers!
BD

[Diane]

Congrats Julie! It looks wonderful!

[uncasteeb]

Very nice , good job.
Maybe the besseae will discourage it from being a total monster , it certainly adds a lot to the colouration.
The shape of the bloom will change subtley over the next few days & it will probabley grow a little as well.Also the colour will not be as vivid.
You may even get a side branch or 2 when it is fully mature.