The Impending Fall

Summer is winding down, and on its coattails comes Fall.  The New York air has already started showing signs of cooling.  We’ve even had a few days recently that were downright autumnal.  I have to say that, however much I love the summer and the heat, Fall is going to be a welcome change of pace.  Classes started up a few weeks ago, and the new MA students have arrived on campus.  It truly is one of my favorite times of the school year.

I’ve sadly had to remove a few plants from my plant list.  The California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) were never very happy, and after letting them go dry for just a while too long, I decided it was no longer worth it to bring them back from the brink.  They were never going to flower, anyway.  The Brassavola cordata put out that new leaf, and then decided it was going to completely rot out at the rhizome.

I’ve been neglecting this blog something fierce lately, and for that I apologize.  I lost momentum (as I’m wont to do) and then classes started up.  At any rate, despite losing the two plants mentioned above, I’ve gotten a few exciting additions to the collection.  All orchids, too.  The September meeting of the Manhattan Orchid Society was a seedling potting party, so as part of that they gave everyone a free seedling to pot up.  I picked Maxillaria tenuifolia.  If you’re not familiar with this species, it’s famous for having flowers scented exactly like coconut.  In addition, I’ve gotten specimens of Bulbophyllum mirum, Laelia liliputana, Lockhartia schunkei, and Phalaenopsis parishii.  So far they all look to be doing well, though we’re not out of the woods yet.

Hopefully I can get around to taking a new set of pictures soon to show you the new additions as well as some good progress on a few of the plants you’ve seen already.  My Bulbophyllum grandiflorum bloomed again for me, which was very exciting.  I didn’t take pictures because, honestly, the flower looked a lot like the last one.  However, it’s thinking about putting out two new spikes.  I’m apparently doing something very right.

Apologies again on the hiatus, and I promise to return soon with more pictures.  Until next time, happy growing!

Spring Growth

Spring has finally arrived in New York City, and it has brought along with it some nice new growth on a few of my plants.  Also, I finally have some actual pictures of my own to show you guys!  Here goes:

Tillandsia xerographica

I got this guy as a birthday present back in late January, and he’s barely done anything since then.  There were a few weeks where some of the bottom-most leaves died and it didn’t put out equal growth on top, so I was worried.  However, it seems to now have adjusted to my apartment.  I’m trying to give it more light, and hopefully the onset of spring will spur it into action.

Encyclia cochleata

A seedling from everyone’s favorite south Florida orchid species Encyclia cochleata, though some people are now classifying it as Anacheilium cochleatum.  They created this new genus for the non-resupinate Encyclias.  This is a fairly young plant that I mounted a few months ago.  The biggest growth plus the one to the right are all new since the mounting.  It hasn’t really wanted to attach itself, but I’m hoping that will change with the next psuedobulb or two.

Dendrobium sp.

Here’s an adorable keiki from an old Dendrobium cane I had (which itself was a keiki from a plant at the Vanderbilt greenhouses).  I haven’t the foggiest idea what species it might be, and it’s not going to be near blooming size for a while, so I guess I’ll just keep taking care of it until then.

Encyclia bractescens

This is my other Encyclia species.  It stays pretty small and compact with terminal sprays of delicate flowers.  This plant was theoretically blooming size when I bought it (said Oak Hill Gardens).  You can see four new growths in the picture above, which is awesome.  I think only three of them are going to develop.  The smallest one in the back middle of this picture has stalled out and sadly seems like it’s going to abort.  C’est la vie.  I am still hopeful for inflorescences on the other new growths.

Bulbophyllum frostii

Bulbophyllum is probably my favorite orchid genus (I’m weird that way).  This is a great compact miniature with maroon “Dutch shoe” flowers.  I also got this one at blooming size from Oak Hill Gardens (that place is amazing).  It’s put out two new pseudobulbs since I’ve had it.  In the pic above you can see a new growth on the central pseudobulb on the right hand side and right above it.  Unfortunately, I think the top one has also aborted (inexplicably).  The growth in front on the bottom also has a new growth hidden on the underside.  Not sure when it might flower.  I don’t think I’m giving it enough light.

I think that’s all for today.  I have some more exciting pictures, but I don’t want to give away all the goodies at the same time!  Hopefully I’ll post those in a few days, and then keep on a more regular schedule.  Coming up next post: an aroid inflorescence, some cool desert plants, and an orchid flower!

Rainy Day in NYC

I’m currently working on a post about my growing setup.  I just need to get my camera up and running (i.e. figure out how to take non-crappy photos with it).  Until then, I won’t have much to post on here.

Next week I’ll be heading back to Chicago for a week.  It looks like it’s going to be cold the entire time (highs in the low 40’s), so there won’t be any pictures of spring, unfortunately.  However, I hope to make it out to the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  I’ll definitely post pictures if that happens.

What I do have are some slightly older pictures of the Vanderbilt University greenhouses.  I volunteered there for four years, so I got to know the collection pretty well. Here are some plants from it:

Bulbophyllum macranthum

This is a Bulbophyllum whose species name I’ve forgotten (edit: it’s B. macranthum).  When mounted it grow around the branch at a 45 degree angle counter-clockwise.  The growing tip is also covered in a clear mucus-like goo which probably acts as an anti-fungal agent.  As you can see in the photo, the flowers are non-resupinate, meaning that it is “upside down” compared with most other orchid species.  There is some debate as to which orientation is actually “right side up,” but the majority of species do have the lip as the lowermost part of the flower (here, there yellow structure).

Grammatophyllum measuresianum

This isn’t a very good pictures of this plant, but I took it backlit like this so that you could see the nearly clear root-tips.  In person the roots kind of acted like fiber optic cables when they were in full sun.  This pictures highlights a growth habit called “basket roots” where the roots of certain orchid species grow upwards into the air forming a basket that catches debris.  The debris gets stuck in the roots and eventually decomposes into fertilizer for the plant.  The genus Grammatophyllum is home to the largest orchid in the world, G. speciosum, with pseudobulb canes up to 8 feet long.

Dendrobium and Napenthes

Yet another orchid from the Vandy greenhouses.  This is a Dendrobium species.  Hanging from it you can see some old pitchers from the tropical pitcher plant genus Napenthes which are beginning to undergo senescence, or aging/dying back.

Dendrochilum longifolium

This is a nice specimen-sized Dendrochilum longifolium.  The long inflorescences have two rows of yellow-orange flowers that smell like a citrus-scented house cleaner.  Yes, they smell like lemon pine-sol or something similar.  Here’s a neat shot of one of the flower spikes:

Trippy spiral, dude.

The paler yellow things aren’t actually part of the flower, but are bracts that occur above each flower.  Bracts are modified leaves.  Pretty cool, huh?

Well, I think that’s all for now.  More updates before too long, I promise.  And be looking for pictures from Chicago in the next two weeks.

Until next time, happy growing!