C. aurantiaca

C. aurantiaca

This is a first bloom seedling for me and I am very happy with it. It came from Al’s Orchid Greenhouse, an orchid shop that I have only been to once but really enjoyed. They had a ton of stock and a very diverse selection.

C. aurantiaca has wonderful color and nice little flowers. Mature plants have bloom spikes with 12 or more flowers and make nice specimen plants. They are available in a wide range of color, but by far orange seems to be the most common.  The species tends to have a flower form that does not open fully compared with many other cattleya. But this plant seems to have a nice open flower and a nice lip. I hope that as the plant matures the flower will do even better.

For me cattleya are an addiction, and seeing this plant in bloom makes me want to acquire the other color forms. C. aurantiaca has some very nice yellow, red and even alba forms. These color forms are often for sale as seedling plants on ebay, but I never trust that they will have they flower type I am looking for in my collection. These days as space is a premium in the growing area, I am seeking quality in my plants as apposed to quantity, and I am forced to restrain myself. But it is always fun to window shop….