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.

 

Stanhopea saccata

Stanhopea saccata with two flowers on a young plant



This Stanhopea is native from Mexico to Costa Rica and grows at elevations from 1,640 to 4,920 feet (500 to 1500 m).  At the upper range in elevation, these orchids can be associated with oak forest habitats.  This is an intermediate to cool grower and does well growing outdoors in coastal southern California.  This species enjoys some early morning direct sun and flowers for me in the fall.  This orchid’s flowers are described as having a cinnamon fragrance, though I have found this form to have a scent that is a combination of camphor with a bit of cinnamon.  The fragrance is light but noticeable when you are close by the flowers.  The inflorescences of this species generally grow at the surface of the growing medium, so they tend to run into the side of the basket.  Care should be taken to direct the inflorescences over the rim, so that they can mature unimpeded.

Stanhopea saccata showing the three lobed lip

The flowers of this species are up to 5.1 in. (13 cm) wide.  The sepals are permeated with a green color on the reverse side, so when the flowers are viewed from the front, they appear to glow and have a light yellow/green color.  The petals and sepals have a deep golden yellow color infused in the lower portions near the hypochile, and are covered with profuse small reddish brown spots.  The hypochile has an enlarged sack-like form that is similar to other closely related Stanhopea (S. tigrina). The horns are larger and wider than other related species (S. pseudoradiosa, and S. radiosa).  The epichile is deeply folded in the center and it has three distinct lobes similar to other species in the Saccata group.  The center lobe is smaller than the two outer lobes.

Stanhopea saccata close-up showing the golden colored,
 sack-like hypochile and wide horns

The leaves of this species are 17-19 in. (43.2-48.3 cm) long, 2.5-2.8 in. (6.4-7.1 cm) wide, and are lanceolate in shape.  The pseudobulbs of this form are 2.0 in. (5.0 cm) tall and 1.5 in. (3.8 cm) wide, and are laterally compressed.

Stanhopea costaricensis

Stanhopea costaricensis inflorescence

Stanhopea costaricensis is native to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama from elevations 1,640 to 3,280 feet (500 to 1000 m).  It is native to tropical and warm forests, and grows best in intermediate to warm conditions. This species does not tolerate low humidity and high light situations and the leaves can burn easily in direct sun.  The inflorescence is up to 8 inches (20.3 cm) long and often 3-5 flowered, making this a good choice for large basket culture.  The flowers are 5.5 inches (14 cm) wide and resemble those of S. oculata.  However, the hypochile has a restricted center portion that makes it form two broad segments that are almost unique in Stanhopea (S. gibbosa has a similar shaped hypochile).

Stanhopea costaricensis flowers

This is a seedling that I purchased from Tropical Orchid Farm of Hawaii and it has a light yellow to cream color in the sepals and petals with several torus shaped (like the letter O) spots that are reddish brown.  The petals have two solid distinct eyes in the same color.  The hypochile is light pink to flesh colored and has dark red eyes and is stippled with red to dark pink small spots.  The mesochile is cream colored and the horns are the same color with the interior portion exhibiting several pink spots.  The epichile is also cream colored with dark pink spots.  This form is an example of variation seen in the species with some forms having less pink and more yellow in the hypochile.  Seedlings can pay off sometimes providing some of the most favorable color variations and spot characters.

Stanhopea costaricensis flower close-up

 

The fragrance of this orchid is camphor scented when it first opens and later it is a combination of camphor and cinnamon.  This species has become one of my new best favorites and a nice fall bloomer that extends the blooming season for my Stanhopea collection!