Stanhopea impressa

This species is native to the western foothills of the Andes Mountains and is found in moist montane forests in Colombia and Ecuador.  The orchid grows at elevations between 1,640 to 6,000 feet (500 to 2,000 m).  The 4 inch (10.2 cm) wide flowers are cream colored to white and have a few sparse reddish spots along the petals and more on the sepals, hypochile and column. The center portion of the flower is infused with an intense yellow-gold color. The fragrance of the flowers is similar to basil and is slightly herb-like, but with an undertone of moth balls.

Stanhopea impressa inflorescence

This is the first to bloom of three clones that I have, so there may be more variation in the species than at first glance. Stanhopea impressa is a mid summer bloomer and tends to bloom after a related species S. embreei which has a fantastic fragrance.  Stanhopea impressa is easy to care for here in southern California and requires cool to intermediate temperatures to perform well.  The horticultural requirements are similar to other Stanhopea species such as S. tigrina, though the species tends to perform better with more shade and water.

Stanhopea gibbosa

This orchid is native to wet and humid forests of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama and grows best in intermediate temperature conditions .  It grows from 1,640 to 4,920 feet in elevation (500 to 1,500 m).  The 4.5 to 5 inch (11.4 to 12.7 cm) flowers are yellow to cream colored and have several reddish spots on the sepals, petals, and hypochile.  The flowers have a nice scent of Eucalyptus, menthol, and pine mixed together.  This species is often confused with Stanhopea costaricensis, but this species appears to have a more prominent and consistent form with two bulges at the back of the hypochile which is different than S. costaricensis. 

This Stanhopea appreciates shade and an abundance of humidity and water.  It tends to perform poorly without these cultural requirements and is shy to bloom.  I tend to water it every day during the summer, and even that seems to be insufficient.  I think it would prefer to be constantly moist and humid at all times.

Stanhopea gibbosa inflorescence

Stanhopea gibbosa single flower

Stanhopea tigrina var. nigroviolacea

This form of Stanhopea tigrina var. nigroviolacea is a recently flowered plant that I received in a trade.  The original plant was grown in Germany and this doesn't seem to be a form that is common here in California.  It has flowers that are medium sized at approximately 5 inches across. The yellow color on the petals and sepals is rather intense and the reddish brown stripes are uneven on the upper dorsal sepal.  It will be interesting to see how consistent the flowers are from one year to the next.  Perhaps this plant has more variation in the flowers than I have seen up to this point, since this is the first flowering I have had of this form.

Stanhopea tigrina var. nigroviolacea

Stanhopea oculata 'Two Eyes'

This form of Stanhopea oculata is very similar to the standard form we see in many nurseries in southern California, that has buff to yellow colored flowers and many reddish brown spots on the petals and sepals.  However, this form has brighter yellow sepals and more spots on the sepals than the other form I have. This form also only has two eyes spots on the hypochile unlike the other form that has four.  This isn't that noticeable of a difference, just something interested I noted.  The fragrance of this form is still the same intense mint and chocolate that the species is noted for.

Stanhopea oculata 'Two Eyes' side view

Stanhopea oculata 'Two Eyes' hypochile detail

Stanhopea oculata with four eye spots hypochile detail

Stanhopea tigrina var. nigroviolacea 'Glory of Mexico'

This form of Stanhopea tigrina has a soft yellow or buff background and less of the reddish brown markings on the petals and sepals than some other forms like 'Predator'. The yellow markings on the upper hypochile are also more intense in this form.  The flowers are as large as the other forms with a width of 6.1 inches (15.5 cm).  The fragrance is very similar to the others with a chocolate and vanilla scent, but this has a slight mothball fragrance as the flowers age.

For me this has been one of the most rapidly growing and rewarding of the S. tigrina var. nigroviolacea forms.  It has flowered from a 3.0 inch (8 cm) pot in two years with five inflorescences, and in that time the plant has doubled in size.  It always seems to be in growth and takes very few breaks throughout the year.  I will continue to monitor this variety and see how it performs against the eleven other forms of this species that I have growing in my yard.

Stanhopea hernandezii

This species is native to Mexico in a narrow range on the southwest side of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt at lower elevations from 5575 to 7220 feet (1700 to 2200 m) in moist forests with a seasonal dry period.  The range includes the states of Guerrero, Mexico, Michoacan and Morelos.  This Stanhopea grows as a semi-terrestrial and lithophyte in shallow soil over rock or in decaying leaf litter.  Because of the decrease in winter rainfall and growth with little cover, this orchid tends to dry out a bit over the winter and this initiates flowering in late spring and summer.  However, reducing water in the winter without sufficient humidity will often lead to leaf drop, so never let this species completely dry out.  This leaf drop will often occur on younger pseudobulbs.  I grow this species outside on the north side of the house with full shade to dappled sunlight.  This species is a cool to intermediate grower for southern California.

Stanhopea hernandezii inflorescence

The flowers of this species are approximately 3.7 inches (9.4 cm) across with large reddish spots throughout the petals and sepals over a background color that can be a cream to buff or yellow.  The species is included in the Saccata section of Stanhopea that have inflated hypochiles that are sack-like.  The inflorescence holds typically 2 to 3 flowers and is rather short 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) long.  The leaves of this clone are also short 5 to 6 inches (12.7 to 15.2 cm) long, while other clones have leaves 8 to 9 inches (20.3-22.9 cm) long.  The pseudobulbs are 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) wide and are oval and smooth, lacking many of the ribs seen in other Stanhopea.

Stanhopea hernandezii flower

The fragrance of this orchid is a bit difficult to describe but is a mixture of vanilla, herbs, peppermint, and cinnamon. The fragrance varies throughout the day and even has a similarity to bubblegum at times, very different than S. tigrina which this species is sometimes confused with.

Stanhopea hernandezii close up showing the inflated hypochile

Spring 2014 Inflorescences

This past winter was warm and dry which made it difficult to keep the Stanhopea watered and fertilized.  This warmer weather continued through spring when temperatures were averaging a few degrees above normal for several weeks.  The warmer weather has prompted inflorescences to grow and mature a few weeks earlier than normal.  I expect blooms to open  in the next few days.

A Small division of Stanhopea tigrina var. nigroviolacea 'Glory of Mexico' that has waited the last two years to bloom and is producing five well spaced inflorescences!

Stanhopea hernandezii with three inflorescences.  This will be the first time I get to see this plant in bloom though I have owned it for three years.  The first year it bloomed I was on vacation and missed the flowers opening.  Last year the buds blasted. This year may be the year the flowers open when I am present.

Stanhopea tigrina var. nigroviolacea getting ready to open.  Unfortunately one inflorescence went unnoticed and was stuck between two wires, so only three will bloom this year.

Stanhopea oculata (purple spot form)

This is a different form of S. oculata that blooms later in the fall than the yellow form that blooms in early summer.  This form has a cream to buff background color on the petals and sepals and also has dark purple spots.  The spots are rather dense on the upper hypochile and there are several dark pink to purple spots near the eye spots on the hypochile as well as on the epichile.  The upper hypochile has a bend that is greater than 90 degrees, but this form does seem to fit into the S. oculata complex.  The upper hypochile is also a deep yellow color.  This form also appreciates warmer and dryer winters than the other forms I have.  It appears to be more of an intermediate grower and grows better with winter night time temperatures between 50.0-60.0°F (10-15.6° C).

Stanhopea oculata (purple spot form) inflorescence.

 

This form has consistently bloomed in fall and begins to push out inflorescences in September.  The flowers are approximately the same size as the other forms up to 4.0 - 4.5 inches (10.2 - 11.4 cm) in diameter.  The fragrance of this form is similar to the yellow form of S. oculata that blooms in early summer with a chocolate peppermint fragrance, though there is a slight infusion of the camphor fragrance that the golden form of S. oculata has.  Altogether this is a good form of this species that extends the bloom season into the fall, and has more color combinations than the other forms. 

Stanhopea oculata (purple spot form) hypochile.

Southland Orchid Show 2013

Two Stanhopea were on exhibit at the show, and the owner Joe Kles of the Riverside/San Bernardino Orchid Society did a great job bringing these species to into bloom again just in time for the show this year.  I am very envious that he was able to get the timing of these to bloom just right since my Stanhopea missed blooming for the show by a week.



Stanhopea graveolens inflorescence

Stanhopea ruckeri flower

In addition to Joe, the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens also exhibited several Stanhopeinae.  It was good to see several species in bloom for the show.

Acineta mirayae
 

Acineta superba almost in bloom....very nice! 
 I can't wait until mine has inflorescences this long.

Acineta chrysantha

Acineta is a genus of orchids that is part of the Stanhopeinae, and is native from Mexico to South America.  They are large plants with big pseudobulbs that have 2-4 leaves per pseudobulb.  The inflorescences can be 11.8 to 27.5 inches (30 to 70 cm) long.  This orchid is native to moist cloud forests of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama. It is found at elevations from 4,265 feet (1,300 m), and is a warm to cool growing orchid.  I grow this species outside with Stanhopea on the north facing side of my house in partial shade.



Acineta chrysantha inflorescence

The flowers of this species are waxy and up to 2.5 inches (6 cm) wide.  They open partially and are carried on long inflorescences to 27.5 inches (70 cm) long with up to 30 flowers.  The flowers have a base color of deep or golden yellow with reddish spots on the petals and sepals.  The labellum has large deep red spots and splotches.  The column, in contrast, is ivory white and minutely hairy at the base.  The fragrance of these orchids is rather complex, but ranges more toward a ginger or ginger beer fragrance.  I have heard of this species having a vanilla fragrance, but my variety has a more complex and intense scent.



Acineta chrysantha flower

This orchid has always bloomed for me in late summer and early fall.  The flowers last much longer than most Stanhopea, from two weeks, sometimes up to three weeks if the weather is cool.  The plant requires a cool and semi-dry rest period in early winter to induce blooms.  The first inflorescences grow out of the basket in July and take about 2-3 months to mature and open.

Stanhopea oculata (gold form)

Stanhopea oculata (gold form) inflorescence

This is a different form of Stanhopea oculata that I purchased because it has golden yellow flowers that are more intense than the other forms of the species.  The upper hypochile has a deep golden yellow color and the sepals and petals are a light to golden yellow color. This form also blooms at a later time (late summer/early fall)  than the pale cream to yellow colored form, and it only has two large eyespots on the upper hypochile rather than the four in the pale form. The eyespots and spots on the petals and sepals are a reddish brown color.

Stanhopea oculata (gold form) flower

This form also has a different fragrance that is similar to Eucalyptus, or a little like camphor.  This fragrance tends to align with the 1.8 cineole identified for most S. oculata in a study conducted by Witten and Williams in 1992.  This is a different fragrance than the other form I have that resembles chocolate mint with vanilla.  This is a great form of S. oculata that should be in everyone’s collection.

Stanhopea Fall Culture Checklist

 

As the weather begins to cool, fall is a great time to enjoy Stanhopea blooms and watch new growths emerge.  This is also a good time to repot or rebasket plants because it is still warm and many Stanhopea will continue growth through fall.  By the end of December, most warm growing Stanhopea will complete their growth cycle, and wait for spring/summer to continue growth in preparation for summer or fall bloom.

 

·         Continue watering all Stanhopea regularly and keeping them moist.  I usually water these orchids three to four times a week under normal temperature conditions.  If temperatures rise above 90°F (28°C) and humidity is low I mist and lightly water every day.  Guarding against low humidity is particularly critical growing Stanhopea outdoors in southern California due to the Santa Ana winds we often receive.  These winds are warm to hot and are devoid of humidity.  By the end of fall you can often begin to reduce watering slightly to just two times a week, or less if rainfall is plentiful.

·         Continue fertilizing all species regularly.  I often reduce the manufacturer’s recommendations to one third or one half and fertilize every week, or what is known as weakly-weekly.  Stanhopea can be rather heavy feeders when they are in active growth.

·         Fall is an excellent time to repot smaller Stanhopea or larger baskets.  I usually wait until mid to late October to rebasket because this allows the growths to increase in size and makes it less likely that you will injure them.  This is a prime time for growth for several species and rebasketing is advantageous.

·         Weed baskets to prevent ferns and other plants from taking up space in baskets.

·         In mid fall (November) I remove or roll up most of the saran shade cloth and store it until spring.  This allows the Stanhopea to receive more sunlight, albeit diffused light during the fall and winter months.  This will assist those species that grow all year and often complete their growth in the winter.

·         If you know temperatures are going to increase and humidity levels drop, you may want to consider moving a Stanhopea that is coming into bloom to a shadier more humid area, or as I often do onto my covered patio.  That way I can enjoy the flower show right from my window.  This often prevents early desiccation of flowers and they tend to last the average three to five days instead of just two.

·         Throughout fall make sure to check for growing inflorescences and ensure that their growth is unimpeded by other plants or the basket.  If need be place a plastic label underneath the inflorescence to help direct the growth out of the basket.  Some inflorescences may emerge from the baskets as late as November or December in some species.

·         Use of a methaldihide product or an organic substitute such as Sluggo is advised on a weekly basis at this time to prevent slugs from disfiguring new growth and impacting new inflorescence and bud growth.  I often use a product called “That’s It” that is a granular form and therefore leaves less residue in the growing media.  I am currently testing Sluggo as a more organic method of slug control.

·         Check for spider mites through fall as our weather is still warm and dry.  Small yellow spots on the foliage signal that these pests are active on your Stanhopea.  Spray infected areas with rosemary oil spray or an insecticidal soap to kill the pests as soon as possible to prevent them from damaging the plant further and spreading to other orchids.

·         You should also be diligent in keeping watch for fungus infections at this time on leaves.  Several fungus attack leaves when humidity is high and temperatures are warm. Black or brown spots of leaves and yellowing of leaves in odd patterns are usually the cause of fungus or bacterial infection.  Treat with a fungicide or bactericide.  I often use Physan 20 to deal with the problems and prevent further damage to the plants.

·         The warmer temperatures and reduced breezes combine to cause fungal infections such as black spot on some Stanhopea species and hybrids.  The key to reducing this problem is to make sure your Stanhopea are grown in a breeze way that gets constant air flow, or to place a fan in the growing area that produces a very slight breeze at all times.  This will prevent the fungus from settling on the leaves and disfiguring them.   This problem does not impact the health of the plant to a large degree but it does look unsightly.

Stanhopea tigrina 'SanBar Gold'

S. tigrina var. nigroviolacea 'SanBar Gold'

   

This is another spectacular form of the Mexican species Stanhopea tigrina var. nigroviolacea.  These are the first flowers that have been produced by this plant, but it is a rather vigorous form and produces several growths per year.  I am looking forward to additional inflorescences next year. The flowers have some of the most intense colors of yellow-gold I have seen in this species.  The infusion of gold is most prevalent at the sepal and petal tips and even into the horns.

 

S. tigrina var. nigroviolacea 'SanBar Gold'
showing gold color on back of sepals

The deep gold color is also infused into the back of the petals which makes the flower glow a brilliant golden color.  The back of the petals of the other forms I have are a buff or light yellow in color.  These color combinations make this form a winner in my opinion, especially because of the gold combined with the deep oxblood color of the petals and sepals. 

Stanhopea ruckeri var. alba

This is the form of S. ruckeri that lacks red in the flowers, with no eye spots and no red spots on the petals, sepals, hypochile and column.  The flower is a clean off-white color with green to green blue color infused into the sepals and petals.  The hypochile is a deep yellow color at the base and ivory white on the epichile.  The column is white with a well-defined blue-green infusion of color in the center that is often not captured well in photographs.  Altogether this is a good representative of the crisp and clean color combinations of an alba form of S. ruckeri in sharp contrast to the red spotted form.

S. ruckeri var. alba flowers

S. ruckeri var. alba column with blue-green coloration

 

The fragrance of this flower is very light and almost undetectable.  It favors a slight fresh baked bread scent mixed with lily.   It would seem that this is the form that was given the specific epithet of inodora for its” lack “of fragrance compared with other more fragrant Stanhopea.  This orchid also resembles the plate of S. inodora found in Edward's Botanical Register and published in 1845, from a plant that was imported from Mexico.

Stanhopea stevensonii

This orchid is native to Colombia.  It grows in intermediate to warm mountain forests at approximately 1,312 feet (400-m) in elevation.  This species requires shade and copious amounts of water.  I grow the plant on the north side of my house, and  it appears to need more shade thus it grows better here than with greater sun exposure.  This species has golden yellow flowers with pale red eye spots on the upper hypochile, and few small red spots on the petals and sepals.  There are also small red spots on the epichile and column.  The fragrance of this Stanhopea is difficult to describe and smells sweet but rather chemical-like.  The fragrance is similar to sweet grass with trace amounts of fresh pine needles. Some individuals have described the fragrance as being similar to moth balls, but I have not detected this fragrance in fresh flowers. 

Stanhopea stevensonii inflorescence

 

The flowers are 3.0 to 3.2 inches (7.6 to 8.1 cm) wide with several flowers (5-7) on an inflorescence.   The inflorescences are rather short, to 6 inches (15.2 cm) in length.  This is one of the smaller Stanhopea with short inflorescences, so it is best to grow it in a small basket.  I grow my specimen in an 8 inch (20 cm) basket and it has been doing well in that size basket for years. The leaves of this orchid are a light green, and are 7.5 to 10.5 inches (19 to 26 cm) long and 3.9 to 4.8 inches (10 to 12 cm) wide.  The pseudobulbs are 1.6-2.2 inches (4.0 to 5.6 cm) long and deeply furrowed. 

Stanhopea stevensonii flower

Cirrhaea dependens

This is a small to medium sized orchid that is native to Brazil and found in seasonally dry forests from elevation of 2,297 to 3,937 feet (700 to 1200 m).  The orchid grows in warm locations and requires part shade to prevent the leaves from burning.  It does well in conditions that are similar for growing most Gongora.  The inflorescences are pendulous  1.0 to 1.3 feet (30-40 cm) long, and emerge from the top of the growing medium, so it is best to grow this orchid in baskets.

Cirrhaea dependens flower "dark form"

The flowers are resupinate so even though the inflorescence grows down, the labellum faces up and opens partially.  The flowers can have a green to yellow background with pink to red spots over the petals and sepals.  The form that is in this photograph is the” dark form” with deep maroon markings on the sepals and petals.  The flowers are also short lived similar to Stanhopea and last for only a few days.

Cirrhaea dependens inflorescence
with partially opened flowers

 

 

Stanhopea ruckeri

This orchid is native to Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.  It grows in intermediate to warm mountain forests 2,625– 4,593 feet (800-1400 m) in elevation.  This is also one of the easiest species of Stanhopea to grow outdoors here in southern California, and can take early morning sun and dappled shade the rest of the day.  The form pictured here is one of the spotted forms with pale red eye spots on the hypochile and small red spots on the petals and sepals.  There are also small red spots on the epichile and column.  There are some forms of this species that are alba forms and lack red color on the flower.  The fragrance of this Stanhopea is a light cinnamon scent and is consistent with the fragrance study done that includes trans-cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl-alcohol, and cinnamyl-acetate.  These provide a fragrance that is similar to a candy known as “Hot Tamales”, and the flowers have a similar fragrance to the candy.  There are other forms that have different compounds as the main fragrance components such as phenethyl alcohol which provides a sweet to floral, rose fragrance, or even one like freshly baked bread.  It is interesting to note that the form that I have exhibits a change in the fragrance as the flower ages and smells more like cinnamon French toast, so some phenethyl alcohol must be produced at that time as well.



Stanhopea ruckeri with five inflorescences

The flowers are 4.5 to 5.5 inches (11.4 to 14.0 cm) wide with several flowers (5-10) on an inflorescence.   The inflorescences can be quite long, 9 to 15 inches (22.9 to 38.1 cm) in length.  Because the inflorescences are so long, this species can make a very nice specimen placed in a large basket that enables the inflorescences to grow out and down.  The leaves of this orchid are a deep green, and are 7.9 to 24.0 inches (20 to 61 cm) long and 3.9 to 4.7 inches (10 to 12 cm) wide.  The pseudobulbs are 1.6-2.2 inches (4.0 to 5.6 cm) long and deeply furrowed.  This Stanhopea is also one of the more easily grown species and is readily available in the orchid nursery trade.  Stanhopea  ruckeri  grows rapidly, and is a reliable bloomer every year.  It produces several inflorescences at a time and quickly grows into a specimen plant.  These attributes make this Stanhopea a good candidate to grow for a beginner, and several Stanhopea growers rate this species as the one that we should all have.

Stanhopea ruckeri flower

Stanhopea Romp 1 - Andy's Orchids

I was pleased that Andy Phillips from Andy's Orchids agreed to assist me with documenting historical live collections of Stanhopea collected in the wild, and we met at the nursery to discuss this and other research. As always, Andy is a wealth of information on orchids - a real walking encyclopedia.  In between visits from clients I had an opportunity to have a tour of the nursery that is a guided affair.  I had a nice time discussing the trials of Stanhopea cultivation with one of Andy's horticulturalists Katrin.

My favorite place in the nursery is of course "Stanhopea Alley".  Stanhopea are found in many parts of the nursery, but this is the main area for the cool to intermediate growers that can perform well growing outdoors in coastal southern California.

Stanhopea Alley and outdoor growing
 Stanhopea species

In here I found a very nice Stanhopea ruckeri in bloom and bud.  This form has a great cinnamon fragrance and the green tinted column is a nice touch!  I missed the blooming of S. martiana by a few days and the S. oculata that was in spike was a few weeks away.  Several Acineta were also in spike in this area!

Stanhopea ruckeri with a nice cinnamon fragrance

In one of the warm greenhouses I found Acineta superba in bloom, Stanhopea xytriophora in bud (just a day or so away from blooming), and Stanhopea jenischiana 'Catorce' in bud.

Acineta suberba inflorescence

 

Stanhopea xytriophora in bud

 

Stanhopea jenischiana 'Catorce'
inflorescence

 

I had to pinch myself to make sure I was not dreaming.  Katrin took me into another greenhouse to see a Stanhopea that just opened.  I almost could not believe that this was Stanhopea haselowiana.  This was the first time I had the opportunity to see this species in flower - it was fantastic and definitely the highlight to my tour!  Thanks Andy and Kat!



Kat with a nice Stanhopea haselowiana

 

Stanhopea haselowiana flower with intense
purple/red spots in psychedelic patterns.