Calvin

Don't have a clue as to ID since I don't know these at all, but MG that is gorgeous! Congrats on blooming this one. Just out of curiosity, how did you grow it - in particular light and temps?

Kevin

Calvin, it certainly does look like Cym. sinense. Paramount mentioned this variety, 'Chin Hua San' has variegated leaves.

You did get a real bargain on this one. It's beautiful!

Carol

Beautiful
Olya

Thanks guys! Carol - mine does has slight variegation in the leaves, similar to the picture

Kevin - I'm hesitant to offer any solid advice since this is the first blooming, and I've definitely had plants bloom once in my care and then slowly go into decline. I got this one last fall - spent the winter inside under low insufficient light (1000fc) and intermediate temps (60-70F) and attempted to make a new growth but it aborted. Spent the summer outside under dappled morning shade and 2-3 hours of afternoon sun, and started a few new growths and bloomed from the old growth. I left it outside till temps dropped to about 45-50C and then brought it in. By then the spikes had already started...and they just took off inside! Hopefully I'll be able to over-winter this one successfully.

What a gorgeous chocolate brown!

Sharon

Higher light intensity encourages variegation. But very pretty with or without. Fragrance?

John

Oh! That's beautiful. Photo #1 looks just like a chocolate kitten with a maroon spotted bow tie.

Is the art also yours? And is the Chinese character (word) second row from the bottom and second in from the right? That one looks like an orchid.

I wish, I wish I could grow cymbidiums. Thank you for posting all the views of this pretty thing.

sweetcicely

Beautiful blooms, plant & pictures. An absolute delight!

Sheila :)

Thanks again! Sweetcicely - I painted that picture for a friend last Christmas.

The character you are talking about is 'spring' :) The poem was written by Ming Xue Wang during the Tang dynasty (I think). It is translated as (roughly - my Chinese really stinks):

I love the graceful fragrant orchid
It's modest colors flirt with the spring sunshine.
In the deep forest, amongst the west wind and winter chill
It is fragrant in solitude

[the last line is written with the mood that despite the absence of any onlooker / admirer to appreciate it's fragrance, it is still fragrant - ie a romantic perspective on the entire 'if a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound' kind of idea]

How ironic that mine isn't fragrant at all! But maybe it's still early to detect anything!

Or maybe the scent can only be detected in solitude :)
...sort of a Schroedinger's Cat enigma, combined with your apt analogy.

Your painting captures this orchid's grace, as does Ming Xue Wang's poem. Thank you so much for the lyric translation--no small feat in itself.

Sweetcicely

Very nice colors!

I LOVE THIS!!! Grown so well...like a pro! You can try emailing Ray from First Rays...he's known mostly for PrimAgra LECA but he's also an expert on Asian cyms. He'll pop up in a google search. He might be able to ID the variety for you.

Has the fragrance come out yet? Mine has to be in the sun for me to catch a slight whiff.

Gorgeous!~Charm

Great pic. I love these Chinese/Japanese Cyms but can't grow them. Won't flower for me. They definitely aren't intermediate except in summer maybe. I would say very cool winter with some direct sun. November is the key month. If they don't get low night temps then, they do nothing.