Stanhopea Inflorescences 2013

After our colder than normal winter, spring has been warmer with close to normal temperatures.  This warm and mild weather has increased the speed of the inflorescence growths for early summer, and it appears that the Stanhopea will be blooming on time this year.  Some Stanhopea are producing additional inflorescences this year, and it is always with a sense of satisfaction that the effort you put into growing a good size plant in one year, pays off with more blooms the following year.

As plants continue to mature they should eventually produce additional growths each year that will lead to an increase in inflorescences.  This may take some time to accomplish and patience is definitely a virtue when growing Stanhopea.  For example the S. tigrina var. nigroviolacea ‘Predator’ from my post last year with eight inflorescences produced thirteen this year.  However, two aborted which happens occasionally due to physical damage or a fungal pathogen.  In addition the S. embreei from last year’s post has three flowers on the inflorescence this year with two more inflorescences coming.  It is good to see a plant that I purchased only two years ago continue to grow well and produced more blooms each year.

S.tigrina nigroviolacea 'Predator"
with eleven inflorescences

S. embreei inflorescence with three buds

If you miss the growth of an inflorescence that is at the top of the growing medium and it seems to be attempting to grow back down into the medium, you may want to insert a plastic tag beneath it to help direct it out of the basket.  I have found that allowing an inflorescence that has already surfaced at the top of the growing medium to grow back down will often result in the failure of the inflorescence to mature and bloom.  Approximately 50% of the inflorescences that grow out of the growing medium and then back in, often rot and never bloom for me.

The following will bloom later in the summer and include a different form of S. tigrina var. nigroviolacea that has not bloomed for me before, an S. oculata that refused to bloom last year, and a new inflorescence is emerging on S. intermedia that I am looking forward to seeing for the first time.



S. intermedia emerging inflorescence