Ascocenda Princess Mikasa ‘Tayanee White’

The princess… a very nice vandaceous hybrid known for its gentle temper and willingness to bloom in less than ideal conditions. Ascocenda Princess Mikasa is a cross between Ascocenda Royal Sapphire and Vanda coerulea. This is the fairly new white variety, known as ‘Tayanee White’, where the alba form of Vanda coerulea produce this lovely color. This particular hybrid is actually available in three different colors, blue, pink and white – and I have all three. I adore the blue, but there is something about white and green (ecpecially the green) in flowers that I really find attractive. This one loved summer outdoors and is putting on quite a show with two spikes with nicely clustered flowers. The flowers last a very long time too. I took these photos about a month ago and the flowers are now opened all the way but will probably keep going for another month if not two. I have sooo many photos I have not had time to process yet, and even more plants in bloom right now that I need to find time to photograph somehow. Hard to keep up, but I am working on it. One day there will be a whole slew of photos and posts up, then you will know I had a break in the schedule.

I grow this one intermediate to warm under bright light, about 15 cm from the lamps, in the new Neofinetia-vivarium I built this spring (I promise to put up some photos of that one too soon). But even though I grow this particular one in a vivarium, you do not have to. I grow the blue variety hanging in the window of the orchid room, and it blooms fine there once a year. It is still left hanging there simply because I cannot fit it in the vivarium… it will eventually only house Neofinetia, but for now a few Vanda will enjoy the ride too. I really need a greenhouse if I insist on growing these large plants. The higher humidity in the vivarium, about 70%, definitely promotes better root growth and faster growing plants. I can see that already after just a few months. I water manually by thoroughly spraying the roots until green with my pressure sprayer. I do this daily the warmer part of the year, but I will cut back to about every other day after it is done blooming for the duration of winter. In the summer all the Vanda hang outside for a long as weather permits, which usually means about 2-3 months here in Sweden.