Haha.. oops! The subject should read "under 12" or so..."

Hi! Try going to the site of Andy's orchids...they have a section devoted just to miniatures.

I was going to say, you have a lot of options for orchids under 12' :)

Phalaenopsis plants tend the stay relatively small but their inflorescence can get tall.
There are some compact hard cane dendrobiums where the canes do not exceed 8 inches in height - but again the inflorescence could be an issue as they tend to grow long.

Oncidium Twinkle plants remain compact and the inflorescence rarely gets too long or tall.
There are also some compact cattleyas or mini-catts that could fit your criteria. They tend to get "bushy" though, as some of them can produce multiple new pseudobulbs each season.

The Onc. Sherry Baby may get over 12" tall. The bulbs will stay under 12" but the leaves and the sure fast growth will get much bigger. I do love Andy's but be eyeful he has alot of nice small growers but our area of 9b-10a will limit what you will be able to grow. Zone 10 in Cal. in very different than 10 in Florida.

There are many mini catts, try and avoid some SLC's which have Sophronitis they are generally cool to intermidate growers. Broughtonia grow will in Florida. There are many Ascocentrum that stay small, not to be confused with Ascacenda which get large. Equitant Oncidiums will branch and stay smaller than 6".

There's a relatively new book out, "Miniature Orchids," by Steven Frowine. He divides small orchids into 3 size categories, the largest being 10" tall, maybe 12." Lots of color photographs, info on culture, etc. Amazon may have the best price.

Also, more and more online vendors have separate sections for miniatures, Andy's being one.

Have fun! Whitecat8

Also, about Phals - except for spikes & flowers, they may not get tall, but the regular-size plants can get wide. The "wingspan" can be 20" or more, if the leaves tend to go straight out, rather than droop down.

There are miniature Phals, if horizontal space is a concern.

When I first started in orchids, there were some giant surprises until I learned to ask how large the plant got at maturity *before* buying it.

Whitecat8

Onc. Sharry Baby is a miniature.......monster. I've. just bought Oncidium Gumnut Gaiety home from a show. The plant fills the criteria, but the spike is 4 foot long with a profusion of flowers. Katie, Is the sort of plant you are seeking?

Luckily i'm only minding this monster as it is a pain to transport.

Hahaha! Sharry as a miniature????? I agree with everyone else, definitely not. The bulbs on mine are barely under 12"! I just measured it and it comes in at a stately 19".

Sorry I didn't write back sooner! I went out of town for the weekend.

The 3 orchids I listed in my first post are all growing in 4" pots. My favorite has got to be the Howeara Lava Burst, it's a perfect size (in bloom and not) and the leaves are more rigid than the Sharry Baby. From what people have been describing and a few other sites I was reading, maybe I'm looking for Equitant Oncidiums? Or Tolumnia?

Thank you guys for all your help!!

Maybe a micro-mini like the Pleuro alata?
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Sorry for the not so great photo but you get the idea how tiny the plant and the flowers are next to the quarter coin. This guy never stopped blooming for me since purchased in March and he's just on the kitchen window sill!

Equitant Oncidiums are now know as "Tolumnia" but many sites still refer to them as either equitant or still Oncidiums. The have very still leaves and a well grown plant will have a large mass of branched flowers. Research their growing conditions they can be tempermental to grow. They do not like to keep their roots wet, a pot with just tree fern or a mounting work well and good air movement and lots of sun will benefit.

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This Den is a new for me and still has one bloom !! I've had Mini Mark for 3 years in the 4" pot !!

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Sorry, that's a Den. laevifolium and Phal. Mini Mark 'Maria Teresa'.

Chryss

Love the Den. laevifolium but it might not like Florida. My vote goes for the various clones of Onc. Twinkle. A well grown plant is a delight, compact with lots of flowers.

How come people keep calling Sharry Baby, Sherry Baby? Who started this nonsense.

Talking about Onc. Sharry Baby here is a poor photo of one in an orchid display. It certainly gives an idea of how big an in-flower plant can be. The only reason i'm getting rid of mine is that an in-spike plant is just to tall to take to an orchid meeting in a compact car.

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