I don't know if it would be considered interesting but my aerangis citrata has an 8 inch long spike, Phal. Wedding Promenade is in bloom and so is Phal. Diamond Dust. Another phal has a spike and two catts are in sheath. I can't take the credit for the catts, my husband just bought them for me and they came that way.

I have a dend and an aerangis blooming, my ludisia, laelia rubescens, iwanagara, and the one paph I have are spiking.

Orchidguy - I love sobralias but can't make the sacrifice for the space and the short bloom time...I think the foliage is just fantastic. Can you post pictures of yours? :)

hello, orchidguy, please tell me how you grow your sobralias. I have one which was outside in the summer - it received morning sun and shaded afternoons. it is now at a window with western exposure. it has 3 new growths. but alas, no blooms.. not even a hint. my blue vanda is in its 3rd month of blooming, a few of the catts are in spike, the psychopsis is blooming, and neostylis lou sneary blue bird is in its 2nd month of blooming, 2 of the phals just finished blooming.
sue

Hi
Since you're also in Fl. was wondering what you might recommend as orchids as yard plants. I have a shadehouse but it's full of Catts,Phals and Brassidiums. All noids I'm afraid lol. Have wanted to try other species but don't know what to choose.?? gary

Phal pal, great about the aerangis, i love those. hhmm why dont i have any? guess I'm too busy buying weird stuff.lol
is it the first time you've bloomed it? Havent checked my phals yet, but its still warm here
they probably wont start spiking till we get into the 60's at night later in Dec

Calvin, you have an Iwanagara blooming? which one? mine only bloom in the spring. Gonna try to get some pics but need to find out how to post

littlem, which sobralia do you have? had it bloomed before you got it? or was it a seedling? bloom time depends on the species. Typically I grow them mostlyt all the same way. The secret to the amount of light is the size/shape of their leaves. big broad leaves are usually an indicator of lower light, while very thin tougher leaves mean more sun, Sobralia macrophylla bigger/broader leaves/short stems-lower light, Sobralia callosa narrower smaller leaves short stems bright light. Though its not all that cut and dry. Some like Sobralia macrantha, decora, xantholeuca and some others can be grown in shade giving taller stems or grown in full sun much shorter stems. I am growing divisions of different species different ways to see which, if any, they prefer. For the most part though, I grow mine is sphagnum moss with dynamite fertilizer 13-13-13 mixed right into it. During warmer months they get watered daily, here from March/April till Nov. Cooler temps I water less. Roots are huge on most andI have had many a sobralia either break a pot or pust the plant out, but still try not to over pot. They like lots of humidity. But still, if you know which one you have, i can help you better.

Gary, What prt of Palm Beach County are you? I'm in Ft Lauderdale, east, So probably a bit warmer then you in the winter. You have a pretty big palate of choices as far as orchids are concerned as yard plants. Phals, Catts, Nobile-type Dens, Soft cane dens, Sobralias, Neobenthamias, Arundinas, hech, even some of the warmer Cymbidiums they bloom twice a year for us here. Let me know what types interest you
John

Hi John! Where do you find Sobralias? I have two seedlings (cant remember which species now), and would love to add more to the collection

What is blooming...lots of phals and catts (luteola, lots of hybrids) right now, and a few miltonia species and crosses. I am into pretty girly flowers!

Olya

hello, John (orchidguy), thanks for your response: I should've been more specific. the one I have is sobralia macrantha. the biggest leaf is 8" long and 2" wide at the widest part. the tallest growth is 20". it had 4 growths when i bought it and now it has 3 more. it is in a clay pot in a terrestial mix - can't remember all that is in it. i keep it moist. the roots when i had repotted it in late spring of this year were very big. the person i got it from had advised me to repot at that time. the 3 new growths happened during the summer while it was outside. it has never bloomed and i can't remember if it was a seedling or blooming size. so hopefully, you can advise me. thanks muchly.
sue

Yep, first time its blooming for me. I'm going to get some more since they are so easy and fragrant. Gotta have fragrance to be in my collection (or really special in some way) Angraecums will be my next addtion. Carter and holmes has some nice ones that I don't have. I would be too scared to try what you are growing...

Oyla, go to some of the local shows, usually a few of the growers will have 1 or 2 types. Usually ask as they might not have them out, or they can bring them another day if they are local and the plants were left behind. The place I like to get them is the Redlands Orchid Fest, usually the 3rd weekend in May. Fridays are species day when most of the growers bring in the weird and exotic. But they go really fast.

just noticed my Catt. bowringiana is in bud.

Sue, macrantha is a fantastic Sobralia, actually my favorite. your plant probably wont bloom for a while, they usually start about 4 feet with nice secure canes and thats if grown in full sun. If grown in part shade or shade, then it will need to get bigger, about 4-5 feet. When mature they get up to 7 feet or so. I pot mine is sphagnum moss with some dynamite mixed in. They do get big, many new growths as well as height, but worth it when you have 20 or more flowers blooming at the same time.

Phal pal, you have some of the fragrant phals?
to me the sobralias as as easy as phals
just do your research with the Angraecums, some are fragrant, some are not
john

Thank you, orchidguyftl. I have been to Redlands and most local shows, as I have been growing orchids for quite some time...I ended up pre-ordering one Sobralia from Equagenera orchids - the plant did not make it
I pre-ordered from Bela Vista, Sobralia liliastrum - so far, growing well, but not bloomed yet. I assume it is not ready yet, as light is abundant in the shadehouse
Oak Hill has Sobralia decora, a seedling plant. I gave it a try, so far growing well..
Sobralias are certainly interesting plants!

Olya, good to hear. I have a dark variety of decora, actually 2 of them. They are actually blooming today and smell FANTASTIC. My roomie took a pic of one of them so I'll try to post it if I can figure out how.
I also have liliastrum and it is in its blooming period. Had a flower earlier this week. You'll like that one as the flowers are long lived for Sobralias, mine have lasted 5 days. I actually crossed the decora with the liliastrum. Hoping for longer lasting lavenders. Decoa has a pod thats a selfing and have a couple pods that are intergeneric between Sobralias and Arundinas, Sobralias with Neobethamia, and Sobralias with Ellianthus. Had some before but the plants had gotten destroyed between both hurricanes Katrina and Wilma so hopefully these will take.
Have a few others and hoping they get mature enough to bloom soon.

hello, John, thanks for the info. as long as it will bloom in shade/semi-shade, i had better grow it that way because my house is not that big. next summer, i will put it where it will get more sun.
sue