Exotic Orchid and More

 In February, I noticed something coming out of the bottom of the big hanging basket orchid I inherited from friends Barb and John Woodhouse when they moved to Minnesota to live with their daughter. They could not take their orchids with them so gave them all to me. Many have bloomed but this big-leaved orchid in a moss basket, hanging from the ceiling of our jungle room, just grew roots out the bottom of the moss but no flowers. I was told the flower stalks begin at the base of a leaf.

At first, I wasn't sure if this was just more roots or what. It took forever to finally start looking like it might have buds. The buds developed slowly and began opening a few days ago. Today they were all three fully open and very fragrant. Stanhopea embreei is a very strange and exotic plant. I am so grateful to have been entrusted with this plant. Barb lived long enough to see many of her orchids blooming in our house (I sent them photos) but she passed away this fall before this mega orchid bloomed. John and his daughter Veronica get my photos now. I think it bloomed for Barb and John many times by the look of all the spent buds hat hung underneath it when we brought it home. So maybe it will bloom again for me!

 

 

 

April 23

 

April 26

 

 

 

April 27, definitely buds!

the orchid cactus want to get in on the show, too

And the babaco papaya!

This little orchid opened its first bud on April 20

On the kitchen window sill, it opened it's second flower finally on May 2nd

But none of those could outshine the Stanhopea when the three buds fully opened, filling the greenhouse with their fragrance, on May 3rd.

No matter how you look at them, they are strange! And worth waiting for.