Bloom Event - Coelogyne fimbriata and Coelogyne massangeana

It feels like ages since I've had time to sit down and write a blog post. Its only been a few days in real time, of course. Still, where orchids are concerned flowers continue to open and today I have two Coelogyne species to share with you. The first is a miniature species, Coelogyne fimbriata. I have always had a soft spot for this species even though it is one of the dowdier species in the genus. There has always been space in my collection for this miniature species (I call it miniature, but it can in fact reach gargantuan proportions given the time to grow into a specimen). Technically speaking this is a cool growing species, so I know I'm not getting the best out of it in my warm growroom. I know also that growing it mounted on a branch is probably not a great idea given my somewhat erratic watering practices. Nevertheless, this plant does bloom fairly regularly.

I really like the delicately fimbriated lip (hence the name fimbriata) and the diminutive stature of the flower. All the more amazing when you think how huge some plants of this genus can get. There are different blooming habits in the genus Coelogyne. Some bloom from the base of a mature pseudobulb in the traditional way, some bloom from the centre of new growth before it matures and some bloom from the top of the newly developed pseudobulb. This is one of those species that blooms from the top of a newly developed pseudobulb. There are specific words for these blooming habits but they aren't really important if we just want to enjoy pretty flowers.

I have this plant growing on a short log with a pad of moss underneath it at the moment. This probably isn't the ideal way to grow such a water hungry species, and I think I will re-think my culture of this species in the near future (which means, to the uninitiated, shove it in a pot). It hasn't really attached to the log and seems to want to grow horizontally away from it. If that isn't a hint, I don't know what is!

As you can see, there are two growing points to this so I'll probably divide it into two plants (it seems to have divided itself, so that won't be difficult). One thing that I never fail to appreciate is that the flower is quite large for the size of the plant. There is usually only one or two per spike, sadly, but large(r) plants have many many growing points and can stay in bloom for some considerable time. I find the scent rather unpleasant (sort of sweaty) but it isn't too strong, luckily.

And now on to a more showy species, Coelogyne massangeana. I got this plant from Burnham nurseries a year or so a go off the bargain bench, in spike, for a tenner. It put out two new growths  after it bloomed, and although it could have done better, it has produced a flower spike for me this time around. It can grow into quite a giant and I know my plant is still only a baby. Thankfully it seems very willing to bloom at a young age. I look forward to seeing it bloom once it has reached full size.

I suppose there are more brightly coloured flowers in the world (Coelogyne is a great genus if you like brown flowers) but there is something rather endearing about it. I love Coelogyne for the lip markings unusual colours. This species also has a very pleasant scent, always a bonus. The most striking thing about this species, though, is how the flower spikes hang down over the edge of the pot, and the sheer quantity of blooms on the spike. As I said, my plant is a baby, but you can see that it will be spectacular when it grows up.

Coelogyne massangeana is quite common in cultivation, but I have to admit its rare you see a large plant in bloom. Probably, this is because they are difficult to transport to shows when in bloom (those flowers are as delicate as porcelain and very easily marked), and also because the plants can grow to very large proportions. So if you want to see a fully grown plant doing its thing, you'll have to grow it yourself, or visit one.

After blooming I will be potting this on as the flower spike only just had room to get out of the pot and the new growth certainly won't. Probably a good thing, as I haven't done anything with it as yet; I was waiting for it to settle into the pot its in first. No sooner its done that, its ready to pot on. Such is life. One for a basket in future, I think.

In keeping with the above discussion about C. fimbriata, C. massangeana blooms from the base of the newly matured pseudobulb at the same time as new growth is started. Naturally this causes lots of confusion when we try to work out whether we are seeing new growths or flower spikes. I'm going through this harrowing experience with C. velutina at the moment, so watch this space.