A scented orchid?

[glossterline]

Hello everyone and what are your views on the following?

I became involved with orchids three years ago when my daughter gave me a Phal as a house-warming present. I was hooked immediately and have since bought 7 plants. I have 6 Phals and 2 Odontocidium-types. None of them is scented.

Can you suggest what I could buy that has a scent? Please bear in mind that I have no heated greenhouse or the like; my plants all share the house with us.

Many thanks,

Les

[butt0n]

There are some Phals that have fragrance that can easily be grown indoors. They're mainly species or species crosses. Also try a Paph. delenatii; it smells like roses and also has a similar culture to Phals. You could probably try a Neofinetia falcata too. These are a miniature type and smell of vanilla or coconut.

[jerrymeola]

Most Cattleya are fragrant but they may not be suited for your conditions indoors.

Oncidium Twinkle may be just the plant for you. It is a miniature Oncidium with a nice scent. A young plant will be flowering in a 2 inch pot and a mature specimen in a 6 inch pot will only be about 6-8 inches high and flowers when in bloom about 4 inches longer. It wants more light than your Phals, but should do well closer to a window.

The flowers are small about 3/4 inch but the plants can produce hundreds at a time.

[Celcat]

A lovely scented orchid is the Burr. Nelly Isler. It has some beautiful red flowers and are quite easy to grow. I can smell my Burr. Nelly Isler from early morning to early afternoon.
I do not have a green house, I live in a flat. And if you have some oncidium already, you should be able to look after the Burr. Nelly Isler without difficulties.

Celine

[mrspiza]

I have good luck with Maxillaria tenuifolia indoors; it has a nice coconut scent.

I've also had nice luck with Grammatocymbidium Lovely Melody 'Sweet' which has one of the most lovely scents I've experienced: it's like sweet, light air with a hint of iced vodka. Very nice and refreshing.

My Phalaenopsis bellina has a nice clove-like smell, but I think they vary a bit from plant to plant.

Many Zygopelatums have great scents (even like lilac), but can be a challenge to grow indoors for some.

I'd not recommend Burr. Nelly Isler, though. Mine STINKS like mildew when in bloom.

[dr_frnkblck]

My Lc. Lucky Charms has a really nice scent.

Also, of course, Onc. Sherry Baby.

[articuno75]

I just bought my Dendrochilum magnum a couple of weeks ago. The scent is really spicy and like heaven. Kind of like Pumpkin spice or All spice. Maybe Nutmeg? The blooms make a long compact chain with up to 20+ blooms, and can have as many as 80. Coloring can be either golden or alba form. Growing conditions are treated pretty much the same as Phals. Very powerful scent. It fills my livingroom.

[Ron]

Hi Les
One of the cooler growing plants that have a powerful but very sweet scent is Zygopetalum mackeii.
My wife brinks them into the house when they flower and the house soon fills with their lovely scent.
Cheerio
Ron

[Hummer344]

How about Dendrobium kingianum. Small flowers but a powerfull scent.

[Andrew]

Fragrant orchids are not particularly uncommon so there's bound to be some that will suit your conditions. A reasonable list of fragrant species can be found on the Orchid Society of Nova Scotia's website. The list is far from exhautive but it probably covers the species you're likely to come across.

[katrina]

I would first look at what type of orchids grow best for you and/or in your home environment...ie the phals. Then do a search for fragrant orchids in that group or groups of different plants.

Here's a great link I've used in searching...not over extensive but still a great start...
Fragrant Orchids

Also, I've seen a book by Steven Frowine called Fragrant Orchids. Might be something you want to check out. It appears to be quite thorough...not only discussing the scents but also the care and culture of each one.

One of my personal fav is the Brassavola nodosa. It's in the catt alliance and is pretty easy...IF...you can give it enough light. Blooms a very long time and one or two flowers can scent up an entire house. LOVE it!!

[Tarad]

IF you like Oncidiums...Sharry Baby hands down. It is said to smell like chocolate, mine smelled realllly good and filled my kitchen but I would not say it was chocolate exactly, but something sweet IT bloomed in my house and I live in Wisconsin. Tara

[patticake]

My Miltoniopsis Lady Jean (Milt. endresii 'Dancing Lady' x Milt. Hajime Ono 'Black
& Blue' AM/AOS- Fills my house with a beautiful citrus/rose scent when it blooms. I grow it in my kitchen in upstate NY. Some say they have problems growing them, but so far so good for me. (It's the flower in my avatar) They don't like it really hot, and they like to be kept moist.

[glossterline]

Thanks everyone for all of your suggestions. I am now wondering which to go for. Since I have had success with the Cambria group so far, I may well try to grow Oncidium Twinkle as recommended above. An orchid supplier in Scotland can send me 'seedling-sized' plants at £6 each (+ P&P), which is not very expensive should things go wrong.
I'll keep you informed as to what I buy, and hope that soon I'll be able to say that our house is filled with the smell of orchids.

Les

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by glossterline

...Cambria group....

This is correctly called the Oncidum Alliance.

[BajanMike]

I have a Cambria that smells strongly of Jasmine!

[kmarch]

There's no such thing as a "Cambria" orchid.

[glossterline]

It's now some time since I bought 'Twinkle' which is doing well but very small. Being a particularly miserly person, I bought a 'seedling' rather than a mature plant, and might have to wait a while until it produces flowers. The trouble is that I'm tempted to buy what everyone above has recommended, and I'd spend my whole day looking after orchids! Could do worse I suppose.

Following up kmarch's comment on the correct name, maybe this is a UK problem, because many orchid supplies offer Oncidium Alliance plants as 'Cambria'. This is so common that for a while, I thought 'Cambria' was a species of orchid. Oncidium Alliance makes more sense.

Les

[dtje2000]

Les, if you are tempted to get even one more for fragrance, my two cents says to go with Onc. Sharry Baby...I'll tell ya, I'm not the best orchid mom on the forum, and my Sharry Baby has bloomed for me at least twice since I purchased it...can't have been more than two years ago. and the flowers are cute, too!

[Plucky Purcell]

I've got 2 sharry baby's and just love the smell. Their only downfall is that they don't smell all day. Mine are most smelly between 10 am and 3pm. When I'm looking for an orchid to fill a particular niche, I really like Andy's Orchids. The sites power search feature is very nice. I don't know if they would ship overseas (most likely not) but it's a good place to get some names to look for closer to home. Good luck!

[glossterline]

I've just had a look at the people who supplied 'Twinkle' and they do not stock 'Sharry Baby'. In fact, they don't seem to have many Oncidium Alliance plants. I do not think that USA growers would send material to the UK.
Also, kmarch will be happy to know that since I last visited the supplier's site, they have changed 'Cambria' to Oncidium Alliance.
Les

[kip]

"Cambria" is Vuylstekeara Cambria. It was such a popular hybrid, and got so many people interested in orchids, that people began to use the name as a generic term for the Oncidium alliance.

for scented orchids, try Sedirea japonica and Neofinetia falcata

[kmarch]

Thanks for adding that kip, I dodn't know that's how it originally started, but now the name is used, as you've indicated, as a generic (and I'll add - incorrect and confusing) name for Oncidium Alliance hybrids.

To clarify though, because this name has come to be used in this way, one should take care not to assume that any orchid they have bought carrying the name "Cambria" is Vuylstekeara Cambria. It may be but probably won't be.

[kmarch]

Oh and I wanted to add that Brassavola nodosa is a good easy for indoors fragrant orchid, only thing is that it only releases its scent at night.

[lmartiny]

The Brassavola does smell wonderful and the blooms are very interesting looking. (I just got temporarily lost in Andy's Orchids site)

[Plucky Purcell]

It is EASY for us geeks to get lost on Andy's site! I like the site so much that when I went to the SD Orchid show, I made sure to buy a plant from them (a max. tenuifolia). Almost felt guilty for spending so much time on their site!

[woaini1116]

I second Hummer344 on the Dendrobium kingianum. I just got one recently and it really makes my apartment smell really nice. It even overrides the certain stink of kitty litter! It does require bright light though, so I just hang it in a south facing window. I also have an Oncidium Twinkle and a Dendrobium aberrans, but they aren't as fragrantly powerful.

[BajanMike]

Originally Posted by glossterline

It's now some time since I bought 'Twinkle' which is doing well but very small. Being a particularly miserly person, I bought a 'seedling' rather than a mature plant, and might have to wait a while until it produces flowers. The trouble is that I'm tempted to buy what everyone above has recommended, and I'd spend my whole day looking after orchids! Could do worse I suppose.

Following up kmarch's comment on the correct name, maybe this is a UK problem, because many orchid supplies offer Oncidium Alliance plants as 'Cambria'. This is so common that for a while, I thought 'Cambria' was a species of orchid. Oncidium Alliance makes more sense.

Les

Thanks for your more helpful correction & elaboration! Cambria is unfortunately often the only information written on labels for these orchids if bought commercially here in the UK.

[Rocinante]

Mature Twinkles and Sharry Babys definitely. But if you want a highly fragrant orchid, try Brassidium Dragon's Flight 'puff'...

Kaleialoha Orchids and Tropicals: Leis, Orchids, Exotic Flowers - Hawaii Orchid Lady

[JudyC]

Old thread but I LIKE it bookmarked!

[jsehorn]

A couple people mentioned Onc. Sharry Baby, and that is a great one. They are very robust and get big, and mine has up to 10 spikes at a time.

Santa Barbara Orchid Estate (sborchid.com) has options for you to view orchids by characteristics, one of which is "fragrant", so that might be a good place to get some ideas.

[jsehorn]

I've got a NoID Cattleya that smells like citrus. I wish I could tell you the name, but there are quite a few fragrant Catts.