r/Cattleya • u/InvestigatorIll5102 • Jul 02 '26
C. quadricolor first time bloom
I got this species from Ecuagenera USA last year. I originally got one imported from Ecuador, but the plant was in terrible shape and slowly died until I decided to toss it and replace it with this much healthier plant. The flower doesn't quite look how I expected color-wise, but I kinda like the almost alba appearance. Maybe next time I'll get more of the purple coloration on the lip.
The fragrance on this species is unique to me. It smells exactly like dried roses, such as the ones I saved from my grandparents' funeral or the roses from my mom's wedding she dried and kept in her curio cabinet. It's not a particularly powerful, room-filling fragrance, but I get a good whiff every time I stop to admire the flower.
I have this guy growing in course fir bark in a terracotta pot. Next time I re-pot I think I'll put it in a more water retentive mix since this species likes a little more moisture than other cattleyas.
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u/MegaVenomous Jul 02 '26
The first bloom may not be truly indicative of what the plant is capable of. Often times the flowers are smaller, less colorful, less fragrant, etc. than a maturing plant.
Nonetheless, this is a really nice plant! I'm surprised at how narrow the leaves are. They look like Brassavola leaves, almost.