Blue Orchid Search

[skiye021683]

Hello!

I'm new to this orchid thing and have 4 phalenonopis right now. I would like to get a blue orchid. And no I don't want a dyed orchid, I want one that is blue naturally. Is there any hybrid orchid out there that is blue because I can't seem to find any and if there is does anyone know where I can get it at? Thanks!

[Orchidementia]

Cattleya dolosa:



Pabnisia Eva's Blue Amazon:



Zygonisia Cynosure 'Blue Birds'



Dendrobium ceraula:



Dendrobium yeagerii:



Dendrobium victoriae-reginae

[sunshine]

L. Anceps v. coerulea "Fort Caroline' HCC/AOS x Lc.Mini Purple 'Blue Hawai


The whole plant


The lip is just the most delicate shade of blue


Pabnisia Eva's Blue Amazon: I have this one and it is very pretty with a light fragrance. Have found it very easy to grow.

Let the enabling continue

[Daethen]

There are some truly blue vandas. I don't have the space for them so no pictures.

[Emma Grey]

Or try Dtps. Little Blue Bird or a Kenneth Shubert hybrid.

[syndywindy]

Lc. Canhamiana FM coerulea "Azure Skies'. Already mentioned and one of my favorites, Den. victoriae-reginae.

[skiye021683]

Thank you all, you've helped immensely. Now to only pick one because they're all so beautiful. Is there a such thing as a black orchid?

[NiNiDazzle]

Originally Posted by skiye021683

Thank you all, you've helped immensely. Now to only pick one because they're all so beautiful. Is there a such thing as a black orchid?

Yes there is.

Fdk After Dark 'SVO Black Pearl' FCC
Sunset Valley Orchids - Grower and hybridizer of quality orchids, Vista CA

[sunshine]

Originally Posted by NiNiDazzle

Yes there is.

Fdk After Dark 'SVO Black Pearl' FCC
Sunset Valley Orchids - Grower and hybridizer of quality orchids, Vista CA

I see you've been doing your enabling homework

[NiNiDazzle]

Originally Posted by sunshine

I see you've been doing your enabling homework

I have three of the cross (from a different vendor). Hopefully I'll get a black one.

[11Orchid126]

Any plant name with the word "coerulea" in it has blue in it as the word means blue.

[BGGraham1]

Here are my submissions for the 'blues'

C. Olivetensis (maxima var. Coerulea x loddigesii 'Blue Skies)


Vanda Bangkok Blue

http://hybridorchid.la.coocan.jp/Van...e/DSC02401.JPG

[Dendian]

Just to be noted - those "blue" orchids are not really blue/blue. Its sort of a lavender/blue. The camera captures it as true blue - but that isn't really the color you see when you look at it. I will find the other picture I took of my avitar at the same time - which shows the lavender color more (even if it is a bit washed out - bright sunlight will do that).

Some of the Zygos or Vandas are really blue/blue to the eye. The Cynosures come close, as do the Dpts. Kenneth Schubert crosses.

The C. Olivetensis above is the actual color of coerulea - good shot!

[Fishmom]

The ascocenda in my avatar is pretty blue, even in sunlight. It's Ascda. Mikasa Blue, and has been a reliable bloomer for me for several years without much fussing. It needs a bit more light than a phal, but less than a Vanda, and I grow it in a pot with coarse bark.

[1joyceh]

OMG!! that Black Pearl is outstanding!!! went to the website, but did not see for sale
Linda...where did you get yours? How do you grow them???? I really, really want one....
I am now obsessed........
thanks enablers...AGHHHH!!!!!!

[BGGraham1]

For the "black" ones, I just got this one. Not in bloom yet, but the pictures made my mouth water!

Hamelwellsara June 'Indigo Sue' AM/AOS

Sunorchids

[BGGraham1]

Originally Posted by 1joyceh

OMG!! that Black Pearl is outstanding!!! went to the website, but did not see for sale
Linda...where did you get yours? How do you grow them???? I really, really want one....
I am now obsessed........
thanks enablers...AGHHHH!!!!!!

Joyce, I saw the SVO website, and they do have them - they're $100 for a 4-inch pot...yikes!

But it brought up a question - there are two hybrids with the same cross, but one is the "Black Pearl" and the other is "Sunset Valley Orchids", which is supposed to be spotted. Any Ctsm. people out there that can explain how you know which one you will end up with?

[NiNiDazzle]

Originally Posted by 1joyceh

OMG!! that Black Pearl is outstanding!!! went to the website, but did not see for sale
Linda...where did you get yours? How do you grow them???? I really, really want one....
I am now obsessed........
thanks enablers...AGHHHH!!!!!!

To get a clone of a black FDK is pretty expensive. About $100 each.
Sunset Valley Orchids - Grower and hybridizer of quality orchids, Vista CA

Just because I like to watch my chids grow up, I bought NBS/BS from enlightened orchids. Since these are seedlings, you have a one in five chance of it being black.
Other Orchids Catalog

[1joyceh]

went back...yes...thought it was one that was sold out...thats the good news...the bad news...YIKES!...too much for this beginner to spend on one orchid, not that confident I can do it justice...I am afraid
hmmm...thinking up lottery numbers.....yeah...that's what I'll do....ROFL!

[1joyceh]

That site looks a little more doable Linda....
thanks to both you and Brigitte....thinking you guys...top prize for enabling

[Orchidementia]

Originally Posted by Dendian

Just to be noted - those "blue" orchids are not really blue/blue. Its sort of a lavender/blue. The camera captures it as true blue - but that isn't really the color you see when you look at it. I will find the other picture I took of my avitar at the same time - which shows the lavender color more (even if it is a bit washed out - bright sunlight will do that).

Some of the Zygos or Vandas are really blue/blue to the eye. The Cynosures come close, as do the Dpts. Kenneth Schubert crosses.

The C. Olivetensis above is the actual color of coerulea - good shot!

The colors in my photos are true. Those are the colors they bloom for me.

I don't use a 'point and shoot,' a PC, or software that comes with a point-and-shoot camera. Of course, if you're not seeing blue on your monitor, I can't control for that

[NiNiDazzle]

My monitor must be off. All the blue flowers I see have always looked purple to me. I wonder what I can do to recalibrate it?

[Orchidementia]

Originally Posted by NiNiDazzle

My monitor must be off. All the blue flowers I see have always looked purple to me. I wonder what I can do to recalibrate it?

I don't know if that's even possible, but I have never used Windows, and I know it does not have ColorSync - so your monitor may be as good as it can be, but your OS is unable to read the embedded profile in my or other photos.

[janet_a]

Originally Posted by skiye021683

Thank you all, you've helped immensely. Now to only pick one because they're all so beautiful. Is there a such thing as a black orchid?

there was one of these in the NCOS show that was actually black:

IOSPE PHOTOS

and i don't know whose photo this is, but another black one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericinsf/349937875/

[NiNiDazzle]

Originally Posted by janet_a

there was one of these in the NCOS show that was actually black:

IOSPE PHOTOS

and i don't know whose photo this is, but another black one:

Maxillaria schunkeana | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Orchidementia]

Here's some species:

Masdevallia rolfeana:

http://www.orchidspecies.com/orphotd...evrolfeana.jpg

Coelogyne pandurata (black lip), often called the Black Orchid:

http://www.orchidspecies.com/orphotdir/coelpan.jpg

[1joyceh]

OMG!! you too Janet? an enabler??
I have to get that one too....poor timing...but I will find a way!!!
Have to tell you why I got into orchids in the first place....here goes.....
love mystery novels..oldies..Sherlock Holmes...Miss Marple...Nero Wolfe...
well, when Nero would go up to the orchid rooms on the roof, and his assistant Archie would give proper names...beautiful descriptions of these exotic plants, talk of crossing this one with that one...I'd run and find pictures, I was fascinated! Then...I read...Black Orchids, Rex Stout, who was an orchid geek in his day hooked me very well. I started off slowly...Now..the talk of black orchids has well...you guessed it....hooked me again, this time for Nero Wolfe's most wanted prize!!!! Sorry to skiye for hijacking the thread, never know where these will end up..my apologies

[skiye021683]

Originally Posted by Dendian

Just to be noted - those "blue" orchids are not really blue/blue. Its sort of a lavender/blue. The camera captures it as true blue - but that isn't really the color you see when you look at it. I will find the other picture I took of my avitar at the same time - which shows the lavender color more (even if it is a bit washed out - bright sunlight will do that).

Some of the Zygos or Vandas are really blue/blue to the eye. The Cynosures come close, as do the Dpts. Kenneth Schubert crosses.

The C. Olivetensis above is the actual color of coerulea - good shot!

You're right, all the ones in the pictures are absolutely beautiful but not a blue/blue. I'm probably too much of a noob for most of them anyway. I'm going to an orchid show a member told me about this weekend so I'll see if I can find one there and talk to the vendors one on one about caring for it.

[Miranda321]

On Pine Ridge Orchids site http://www.pineridgeorchids.com/docu...y-9-5-2011.pdf they have a 3-1/4" pot size of an "After Dark" listed as available that is supposed to have an 80% chance of being black for $45 . You need to scroll a little more than 1/2 way down their list of available Catasetinae to get to the Fredclarkeara section.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by skiye021683

You're right, all the ones in the pictures are absolutely beautiful but not a blue/blue. I'm probably too much of a noob for most of them anyway. I'm going to an orchid show a member told me about this weekend so I'll see if I can find one there and talk to the vendors one on one about caring for it.

The kind of "true" blue you're talking about is exceedingly rare in orchids. The vast majority of orchids we call "blue" are actually this grape-blue colour like the ones that have been posted so far.

One orchid genera that actually contains true blue orchids is Thelymitra. Thelymitra are Australian native terrestrials. Here's a link to one such Thelymitra species (Thelymitra ixioides) that is blue:Thelymitra ixioides Here's another (Thelymitra simulata): Thelymitra simulata Graceful Sun Orchid

You're not likely to find these popping up on vendors tables though. Some Many of them have proven exceedingly difficult to cultivate. They're beauties though!

[janet_a]

yes, i love those aussie blue ones!

OMG!! you too Janet? an enabler??
I have to get that one too....poor timing...but I will find a way!!!

i'm still pondering one; a local guy has them, but they're expensive, and i don't know if i have the light conditions for them.

[BGGraham1]

So, I was thumbing through my issue of 'Orchids' magazine, and they had an article on this one...Dracula Raven 'Lenore' FCC/AOS.

You want black? This is black!

http://www.jlorchids.com/assets/imag...%5EAOS_lrg.jpg

[janet_a]

i saw that !

why did i think draculas were little bitty things?

[Emma Grey]

Wow! That IS black. Interesting.

[BGGraham1]

Originally Posted by janet_a

i saw that !

why did i think draculas were little bitty things?

They're big enough to bite you!!