Aerangis - oh, what to get?

16 years ago

Ok, I'm taking the plunge into Ang-dom. Saw Aerangis splendida, LOVED the flower, then learned that Aerangis mystacidii smells like lily of the valley, my fave fragrance. Then add in to the equation that I have NO willpower when it comes to orchids, and you've got another budding addiction. Cal Orchid will be coming near here soon, and I've already got an order in for a couple of variegated Neofinetias. I'd love to add the above two Aerangis, but I need a bit more info from those who grow them about their culture, or whether I should go for another of their Aerangis.

FYI, ideally, I'm looking for something that likes about high Phal to Oncidium light, intermediate temps, relatively easy to bloom and that will fit under lights.

Thanks.

Julie

Here is a link that might be useful: Cal Orchid - Aerangis and Angs

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Comments (12)

clintdawley
16 years ago
I recommend fastuosa, Julie.

Mine bloomed on a really tiny plant and the flower was unique. Long spur and quite fragrant too! The fragrance is hard to describe...hmm..earthy floral maybe? (Mine bloomed in April).
Easy to grow in those conditions. Mine was grown under lights.

{{gwi:187198}}
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tmigratoris
16 years ago
I have about 35 species of Aerangis & they all grow well in my growing conditions - low to med light, 50-60% humidity, warm to warm-hot temps. I water daily, all are mounted (mostly on cork), and I usually mist once or twice a day also.

My favorites include Aer. articulata - a vigorous grower that throws long, robust spikes with large flowers & long spurs; Aer. biloba is slightly less spectacular but is a very reliable bloomer & gorgeous in its own right; Aer. punctata is grown as much for its foliage as the flower - very small, spotted leaves; I could go on and on.

I'm not a big fan of the tiny-flowered species - hyaloides for example. Did I mention Aer. citrata? Easy and prolific grower that usually throws multiple spikes but I've had trouble keeping fungus/bacterial diseases at bay.

I'm a huge Aerangis fan & recommend that you get 'em all! Try Paramount orchids in Calgary if you want to experiment with a few new ones.
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Fred Hillerman, dean of all thing angraecoid, says about Aerangis: "Aerangis species - these plants need a free flow of air over their roots, hence most resent potting and will tolerate it only when the media used is loose and permits a considerable passage of air up through the pot. We can separate these species into two groups: (1) Those that are strictly epiphytic and want their roots well exposed: decaryana, fuscata, kotschyana, luteo-alba var. rhodosticta, stylosa; less commonly known species - coriacea, verdickii, somalensis, spiculata; and (2) Those that tolerate some potting, as in coarser mixes like fir bark or loose sphagnum: articulata, modesta, macrocentrum, collum-cygni, platyphylum, ellisii, hyaloides, fastuosa, and citrata - the last three being the most accommodating - safest to pot, and except for the last two, all can be mounted. "Culture tips to remember - most mounted species will need more frequent watering; in summer they usually require it several times daily, even up to 4 or 5 times - depending on the humidity. Few will prosper on a once- or twice-a-week watering schedule." If they're coming mounted, I would probably keep them that way. If you want them easier to handle, simply prop the mount in an empty clay pot. Voila. Potted aerangis. Humidity indoors might be a problem. One useful technique I've seen is to set the clay pot-with-propped-mount into a shallow tray of water. Make sure the mount does not touch the water level (maybe by setting it on a rock or something in the pot). The clay will wick up and evaporate water, giving you a slightly more felicitous microclimate for your aerangis.
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Unfortunately, what you would consider "high humidity" inside a house is nowhere near what would make a difference in angraecoid culture. High humidity (for purposes here, 60%+) does a number of beneficial things for this genus, among them: slowing the evaporation rate of the medium so that it can remain "evenly moist" for longer periods of time avoiding extreme wet/dry cycles during the growth phase, and also, the buds require higher humidity to form properly and avoid blasting. Placing a mount within a clay pot, even if the clay pot is standing in water, still will not provide the humidity you need. Also, without some sort of enclosure, the humidity trays commonly sold are equally worthless. You're going to have difficulty achieving the right balance of air movement and humidity within a small enclosure, but it could be done. You can build a simple arrangement using plastic dropcloths and a wire frame, or retrofit an old aquarium. I've seen a larger one with an iron frame and a zippered plastic covering, but I can't find it online at the moment. Then there's the extreme Wardian cases, but those are obscenely expensive. Another difficulty with such an arrangement is going to be heat gain. You can't have it near a window, so you're going to have to use fluorescents for light. MrBreeze grows indoors -- he might be able to give you tips in this regard. Many orchid hybrids (cattleyas and phalaenopsis in particular) can be grown on windowsills without much difficulty. But on a scale of 1-10, with phals being a "1" and disas and Den. cuthbertsonii being a "10", I would rate most angraecoids between a "5" and an "8". With a bit of homework and preparation on your part, you should have success. Good luck!
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So today, Bruce's rule #2 was proven right. I ordered the plant online for a vendor to bring to our OS meeting today ($35, COD). I get to the meeting, and while I'm waiting for the vendor to arrive, guess what I see on the members sale table? Two aerangis kirkii plants, in spike, for $20 each. Well, I thought: Hey, I should respect the vendor, and buy their plant. So I held on to my $35 (had I brought more money, I would have gotten the plant off the table as well) and gritting my teeth, walked away. Well, 20 minutes later the vendor appeared, and they apologetically told me they had forgotten the plant in their greenhouse! I run back to the sales table, but of course, the plants were gone. Awesome, huh! The silver lining to this story? The vendor told me they'd bring the plant to next months, and that it was mounted (the ones on the table were potted - I would have had to mount them anyway) with 3 spikes coming along. And, in a fit of rash purchasing to consol myself, I got an awesome little cymbidium goeringii. It actually doesn't look like a normal goeringii though, so any thoughts on ID would be helpful.
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Wow, Aerangis punctata brings Calvin over to the hoya forum for a visit! Hi Calvin, how's your kirkii doing? Mine is looking good again. I think I burned it a little when my timer spazzed out. I think the lights stayed on 24-7 for over a week. Also, I KNEW there were Aerangis growers out there. Renee, your mooreana is gorgeous. Reminds me a lot of mystacidii. I seem to gravitate heavily toward the Aerangis vs the Angraecum orchids too. There's just something about them. I love that arachnopus, Calvin. They look so delicate. Me, I'm swimming in seedlings as of late. I now have those modesta seedlings still, a bunch of mystacidii seedlings, and Neofinetia falcata Shu Ten Nou seedlings. GG, I think almost all of my orchids will bloom white. Then again, almost all of my orchids are Angraecoids. I'm gonna let Mike do the orchid recommending, because I seem to be the contrary one about orchid growing stereotypes... the ones that are supposed to be easy to grow I do very poorly with, yet the supposedly trickier Angraecoids are much easier for me. I mean, everyone says the best beginner orchids are Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilums, and I have killed both. Numerous times. Oh, and Oncidiums and Oncidium intergenerics. Percentage wise, I have killed far far fewer Angraecoids. I'm still struggling a bit with Pleurothallids but I love them. One that is doing really well for me even during the time when I felt overwhelmed by life was Chaemangis (or Microterangis) hariotiana. It actually blooms pumpkin orange, but each individual flower is teeny tiny. It has bloomed faithfully in April every single year since I've had it. It is super cute! Here's an early pic of it: Looking at this picture now I realize just how much this guy has grown. Maybe I'll get a new picture of it this weekend.
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mdahms1979
16 years ago
It has been a long time since I have posted on the forum but I can't resist when the topic is Aerangis species in relation to Canadian growers. I have to agree that Paramount Orchids has a fantastic selection of Angraecoids including many Aerangis species.

Aerangis distincta and Aerangis splendida are easily two of my favorites because of the massive show of blooms they put on when they are mature plants, not to mention the fragrance of the blooms. There is not an Aerangis species that I would not grow as they all have their own charm. Another Canadian vendor has Aerangis spiculata seedlings available which is a beautiful species that is quite hard to come by, can't remember who has it for sale though.

Here is a link that might be useful: Canadian vendors
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mrbreeze
16 years ago
Wow...the holy power of Angs brought Dahms out of hiding! Hey Mike! Glad you're still growing Angs!

Fastuosa is hard to beat, I can't agree more on that. It would be a great choice. Any of them would be. Once you get two or three...you'll have to get them all. If you can find kirkii, get it. I think it is one of my favorites.
-MB
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tmigratoris
16 years ago
Kirkii ... another great one ... I have one with two spikes on it now. Cal Orchids in Santa Barbara has kirkii (a few spots on the leaves but Cleary's stops it in its tracks pretty well). Try Parkside for spiculata - I got a very nice BS spiculata in a 4" basket from them a year or so ago.

Did I mention Mystacidium? Get yourself hooked on Aerangis & then wander over to Mystacidium. They're maddeningly hard to find but spectacular when you bloom them. I just picked up some BS capense & braebonia & have recently acquired a number of gorgeous Mystacidium venosum - one that I picked up early this year has seven spikes on it. I'll try to post a pic when it blooms.

Angraecoids are addictive ... be prepared ...
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mrbreeze
16 years ago
T., your post on OSF left me literally breathless. I was so overcome with envy and amazement, I couldn't even post.

Do you remember which vendors you got all those amazing hybrids from? I've been thinking of making a trip for the POE this coming Feb. But after reading your post, I'm wondering if maybe I should plan to come for a different event? Do you know if any of the other ones are better for Ang selection? Considering what you found, its hard to imagine it could be better at the POE or one of the other SBOE events. I'm VERY jealous.
-MB
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cjwatson
16 years ago
And, Mr B, when you do go traipsing around the country in search of Angs, you of course will be shopping for me too, right? Now that Malala is no longer coming to Redlands, I am always looking for new sources.

I am still thinking of picking up a few more Angs from Cal-Orchids since I have all the ones offered by Oak Hill -- by the way Oak Hill has about five or six Aerangis species for sale and several Angraecum species/hybrids, some small growers.
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mrbreeze
16 years ago
Mrs. Watson....I dunno, maybe we can work out shopping for that articulata...lol. But, I thought you were into Catasetums and floof? ;-)

I keep hoping Cal will get some new selections. I've got all but one or two of theirs, same with Oak Hill. I saw their Aerangis special, tempting for sure! I wish the lottery commission would just go ahead and give me the winning ticket, I'd start my own Ang nursery. :)
-MB
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cjwatson
16 years ago
I will give you a bit of a nudge: The Angraecum scottianum at Oak Hill arrives in bloom. I picked one up this past week to replace a plant I killed two years ago by not getting it out of their mix quick enough, and it has two huge buds on it. This is the time of year they generally bloom.

You don't want that articulata; you already have two of them.
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tmigratoris
16 years ago
MB: Keep your POE plans for Feb '08. I've picked up some oddball angraecoids there as well & the spread is pretty impressive. Come out to the POE & I'll meet you there - between the two of us we could probably do some serious angraecoid damage ...
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jamcm
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you all for your comments and recommendations... even though it has only made my list longer...

Clint - I had looked at fastuosa and was tempted. Your suggestion has pushed me that much further and having Mr. Breeze second it.... well, I definitely think I'll drop James a note about it.

tmigratoris and mikedahms - I know, my good, practical self and my orchidaholic self are duking it out to see whether I'll get every single one or not. Paramount is a good recommendation, though for now, I am looking at Cal Orchid, since I've already got a pre-order for some variegated Neofinetias which are not as available in Canada. If I can keep the Aerangis from this order alive until next year and get at least one to bloom, I'll definitely take a closer look at Paramount's stock.

Mr. Breeze - kirkii? Like the notion of tesselated foliage, seems like it would stay small... but I'm getting dangerously close to getting four Ang-relatives, when I was really looking to just get Aer. splendida and a buddy so it wouldn't be lonely. I'm already at 3... Argh! Oh well, you only live once. Might as well get 4, especially since I can rationalize it by saying that 2 don't really count as they're only NFS.

Thanks again everybody.

Julie
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tmigratoris
16 years ago
MB: check your PM
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Aerangis - oh, what to get?

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