I don't think that there is any other Phalaenopsis with a scent just as wonderfully overpowering as Phalaenopsis violacea. There is still much confusion between the species P. violacea and P. bellina. They are of course distinct species but the latter is a larger flowered species from Borneo, separated from P. violacea in 1995. Both like it hot and humid which often makes it a bit tricky to grow them down here in the Cape unless you have adequate growing conditions with heating. My P. violacea that I purchased some time ago from Plantae flowered for the first time and it is a stunning intense purple. I was expecting lighter flowers with a tinge of blue as the label given was "P. violacea var. coerulea" but I later discovered that this is just a synonym for P. violacea.
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| Phalaenopsis violacea |
One thing about Plantae (and I am incredibly fussy when it comes to my plants) is that they offer consistently good quality plants at affordable prices and they take exceptional care in their packaging. I have always been very impressed with their plants and I get most of my pants these days from them. I recently got a new shipment from Plantae including a few interesting Bulbophyllum species (B. bicolor, B. grandiflorum and B. lobbii) as well as some Vandas and some other interesting species including Haraella retrocalla and Chilochista yunnanensis. All are doing well and I am excited to see them flower one day in the future.
On the seedling front not much is hapening yet although I am currently raising some Dendrobium speciosum seedlings that are a breeding from my award winning white with a deep golden yellow of Patrick's. The seedlings are growing well and I expect to have a number in the future to trade or to sell.
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| Dendrobium speciosum |
