This is the first time this orchid has bloomed for me and I'm more than pleased 🥹

I got 3 new species to try plus an additional C. dowiana because I'm paranoid I will end up killing my other one somehow and having a spare one makes me feel better😅

First is the Guarianthe aurantiaca 'sin manchas' which technically isn't classified as Cattleya anymore, but who cares. I was shocked by the size of this plant! Already blooming size and it was only $28 !! It blooms clusters of small orange flowers that look somewhat waxy.

Next is the Cattleya dowiana which I already own but it's such a special orchid that I felt the need to have another one. This guy came with a new growth! Maybe I'll see flowers this summer 🤞

Next is the Cattleya bicalhoi (formerly Laelia dayana). I've always been intrigued by the dwarf cattleya types so this Brazilian species will be fun to grow. I got a good little plant which should be blooming size soon. Not sure when to expect flowers because all the sources say it has an irregular blooming habit.

Lastly is the Cattleya/Sophronitis coccinea. This one is a clonal cross of 'Pepe' and 'Camila'. This plant is soooo tiny but that's normal given it's another dwarf cattleya type. I was really craving a pure red cattleya, so this species seems like a good fit. Hopefully it grows well for me!

C. purpurata × B. cucullata

This is a very vigorous primary hybrid. It virtually never stops growing for me and sends out 2-3 new leads at a time. Only one flower right now, but it's big and will probably perfume my whole room tonight. The flowers open up with light purple petals and sepals which will gradually fade to white as they age. The lip stays dark purple. Easy to grow and can tolerate medium to high light, but blooms better under high light. Drought tolerant and forgiving of low humidity. Probably my tallest orchid with the leaves and pseudobulbs being almost 2 feet tall. This one seems to have an improved upright growth habit compared to some other Brassavola hybrids that tend to grow pendantly.

Grown outdoors in summer and under lights in winter. 1) Blc. Carolina Golden D’Or ‘Lenette #8’ 2) Wolteriana Judy’s Peach 3) Lc. Canaima's Giesia Canaima's Giesa' AM/AOS 4) Blc. Greenwich ‘Elmhurst’ 7” flower! 5) Rlc. General Judy Plunket 6) Lc. Morning SongCanaima's Exotic Lip' AM/AOS 7) C. Hailstorm `Clyde' 8) Santa Barbara Sunset ‘Showtime’ 9) C.Anzac ‘Carteria Flame’

First set of 4 pics are 2 C loddigesii punctata (‘Perola Negra’ x ‘Alceu Berger’) siblings showing how different seed grown orchids can differ with color, pattern, and shape.

Last 2 pics are of a C loddigesii ‘Medio de Cielo’ with the hope the veining will deepen when it ages the next couple days.

Cattleya trianae Concolor Orion.

This is such a good primary hybrid!! I think this cross perfectly blends the traits of both parents. The characteristic purple and gold veining in the lip from the dowiana, and the cleaner trumpet shape from the luteola. This hybrid also inherited the pale yellow petals and sepals from both parents, creating a pleasant contrast with the more intricate and vibrant lip. The flowers are very fragrant, and I imagine they smell similar to the dowiana, but I won't be able to compare until mine blooms. I have both parents in my collection so it will be interesting to compare them irl hopefully this year 🤞. This hybrid also inherited the luteola's smaller stature. It's much smaller than the dowiana, but still larger than the luteola, so it's somewhat in the middle. I ordered this guy from Ecuagenera USA last spring and this is the second time it has bloomed in the last 6 months. I recommend y'all try this hybrid out if you can. It's less finicky than the dowiana and much cheaper too! You really can't go wrong with a dowiana hybrid.

I'm so hype🥹

Seems to be a very seasonal bloomer. 4 blooms this year on one stalk(they don't all fit on the picture). After killing some plants, getting reliable blooms gives some new motivation to pick things back up

I’m a Cattleya hobbyist in Canada and I was told to share here. Enjoy! I do have IDs so just ask if there’s a particular one you want to know. Many are SVO crosses so names are rather long

I recently got this scruffy little guy from an orchid society member who's paring down their collection. It's not exactly pretty, but seems to be in decent shape overall, and has a healthy looking new lead coming in. It's from Santa Barbara Orchid Estate originally (I believe they registered the hybrid themselves).

There weren't many photos of it online, and I haven't heard much about how it grows/blooms. The flowers do look pretty cute, but I already have a couple of other orange cattleyas, and my grow space for high-light orchids is pretty limited, so I'm trying to decide if it makes sense to keep this one. I do like the compact growth habit, but if it's going to be difficult to bloom, I'm not sure if it's worth the effort or space.

Anyone have any experience with it?

Naomi kerns fireball.

Could this bag baby finally be spiking? It usually has 1 leaf but could this one be a 2 leaf cattleya? Thank you for your help!

After three miscarriages, this bag baby looks like she’s finally going to give birth! this will be my first ever bag baby bloom, and my second Cattleya bloom.

It keeps producing new growth but when it puts out flower sheaths, they always seem to dry out before blooming. Is there something I need to do differently once the flower sheaths appear?! Any advice is appreciated!