About
A labiate Cattleya from Colombia with the largest flowers in the genus, fragrant and up to about 27 cm across. It is a major parent of large-flowered hybrids.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Listed as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses. General guidance for the genus
- People
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Strong light with good air movement.
- Water
- Let the potting medium dry completely between waterings, then run lukewarm water through the pot until it drains. Avoid salt-softened water and water colder than 10 °C (50 °F). General guidance for the genus
- Humidity
- Above 50%; a pebble tray under the pot helps. Good air circulation is essential. General guidance for the genus
- Temperature
- About 21–29 °C (70–85 °F) by day and 13–16 °C (55–60 °F) at night. General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Coarse orchid bark (chopped fir or redwood) or an inorganic kiln-fired medium; never ordinary potting soil. General guidance for the genus
- Pot
- Repot about every two years, in spring or just before new roots appear, when the rhizome grows over the pot edge or the medium breaks down. General guidance for the genus
- Propagation
- Divide when repotting, keeping at least three healthy pseudobulbs per division; also raised from seed or tissue culture. General guidance for the genus
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 10a–12b; grown indoors or under glass elsewhere. General guidance for the genus
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Grooved, cigar-shaped pseudobulbs 20–40 cm long each carry a single leaf. Showy, fragrant flowers measure 17.5–27.5 cm across.
Distribution & habitat
First collected in Colombia.
Ecology
Hybridises naturally with Cattleya dowiana (C. aurea), producing Cattleya × hardyana.
Cultivation notes
Flowers in summer on the spring's new growth and needs strong light and good air movement. Used extensively in breeding large-flowered hybrids.
History & etymology
Collected by Józef Warszewicz in Colombia in 1848–49 and described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1855.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Colombia
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
- Temperature
- About 21–29 °C (70–85 °F) by day and 13–16 °C (55–60 °F) at night.
- Humidity
- Above 50%; a pebble tray under the pot helps. Good air circulation is essential.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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