One of the plants we are delighted to take to the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference 2018 is this amazing Cattleya species from Central America.

Cattleya bowringiana (now named Guarianthe bowringiana) is usually pink (see Guatemala photo below) but this variety is purply blue. It is native to Guatemala and Belize in Central America and is the most northern-growing of the Cattleya species. It is usually found in dryish lowland forest and was seen by students on the trip to Guatemala near Yaxha at 300m altitude (see photo below). They come into flower during autumn and winter and produce long spikes with many flowers from the robust pseudobulbs.

We have the normal variety in bud and that will be joining coerulea in flower next week