This cattleya species has been likened to ‘granny’s nickers’ by some students, more attracted to miniature orchids, but I still love its enormous, dramatic, over the top flowers in soft lilac.

This large flowered orchid (measured at 24cm across) is another Colombian species, and it grows in lower montane forest. It is similar to Cattleya trianae (below) but has fewer larger flowers and different shaped pseudobulbs.

With us the species flowers reliably during March and early April and is always a big attraction especially this year with three pairs of flowers.

We grow our plant in a basket of course bark and hanging high in Warm Americas with the rest of our Cattleyas.