Sorry for being a little late with orchid of the day – I have been at the World orchid Congress in Taiwan since 3.45 this morning! – virtually of course.

We have a real show stopper of an orchid this morning. Our largest plant of Cymbidium devonianum is in full flower with eight pendulous flower spikes and gorgeous green, brown and pink flowers.

Cymbidium devonianum produces dense pendulous spikes of dramatically coloured flowers and thanks to its unusual habit of flowering of older bulbs as well as last year’s bulbs produces spikes in profusion. As you can see we have different clones and flower colour varies around the theme of greeny-brown, and a pink lip with two prominent darker blotches.

In Sikkim we have found this species growing in heavy shade, low in trees and usually in pockets of detritus and dead leaves that keeps the plant damp through the dry season. (photo below)

In cultivation we replicate the cool, wet shady conditions it enjoys and too much light or too little water results in brown tips to the thick leaves. We grow plants in baskets to allow the pendulous flower spikes to emerge and not become trapped in the bottom of a pot.

We have lots of seedlings in our lab of this lovely species and seedlings establishing out of flask too – keep an eye on our shop later this week.