Earlier this month I featrured the alba variety of Phalaenopsis violacea (below with the more a more common pink clone) and today we have the astonishing deep purply-blue Phalaenopsis violacea “coerulea’. The diversity within this species is extraordinary with all the plants being sweetly scented too.

As I have said before Phalaenopsis violacea is native to Malaysia, where it is native to hot lowland forest in shade. The species produces flowers successively on a spike over many years and we are looking forward to many years of glorious flowers from our alba variety now that it has started to flower. The large, glossy, undulating leaves are also attractive – a lovely species.

The diversity of forms in cultivation is not representative of the general wild population and ex-student (and Masters Student) Jacob has done some very  interesting work on the impact on cultivated forms of Phalaenopsis violacea of the closely related species Phalaenopsis bellina (below) Can you spot the possible influence of Phalaenopsis bellina in any of our violacea clones?