What impeccable timing this lovely Cattleya has this year. She pulled out all the stops and produced a fantastic bloom just in time for vacations here in Sweden. She was in bud when we moved out to the summer place earlier in June, and how she is in full bloom. The flowers measure about 10 cm both tall and wide. I have never had such abundant result on this orchid before, she actually produced four buds on this bulb! Only three went all the way, but I am not complaining. I have also never seen such amazing color. It is much deeper magenta/purple than earlier years and I can even detect a faint fragrance, something I have never done before. Perhaps the time hanging outside has done her well, we have had nice warm days and very humid and cool nights here this summer so far.
There are many different naturally occurring forms and varieties of Cattleya intermedia, the orlata color variety that I have is characterized by particularly strong dark purple coloring on the front lobe of the lip and edges of the lateral lobes, the petals and sepals are light suffuse purple and lightly speckled. The orlata variety is actually defined by the shape of the coloring, not the color itself. Interesting to note is how different the color looks as the flowers mature, the newly opened flowers are creamy white in color, turning purple in a few days.
Cattleya intermedia is a bifoliate, intermediate to warm growing epiphyte from the Atlantic coastal forests of South America, where it grows around sea level. It is a very strong grower and faithful bloomer in my collection. To be honset, I probably would not have bought it originally had I realized just how large it would grow given the size of my growing space. The plant I bought many years ago had pseudobulbs measuring about 15 cm tall, and since it was in bud then I figured it was the size I could expect. Well, it has grow larger and larger every year, this years blooming bulb is measuring an impressive 30 cm tall… but now I am in love with it so it is too late anyway. I grow it potted in a mesh pot with medium bark in my intermediate growing room (except now when she has come along for some summer holidays) very close to the lights. A lot of water when in active growth and a short drier rest in the winter.
