Cattleya tenebrosa, finally!

[smweaver]

Very nice flowers. Being color blind, the color combination of these is pretty much lost on me. But I do like the shape--and the fact that your plant looks to be a healthy, multi-lead example of this species. Congratulations.

[JScott]

Originally Posted by smweaver

Very nice flowers. Being color blind, the color combination of these is pretty much lost on me. But I do like the shape--and the fact that your plant looks to be a healthy, multi-lead example of this species. Congratulations.

It does have multi leads. Five or six. It seems to have two growth cycles. One in the winter and one in the summer. The winter growths have sheathes, but they never bloom. Only the summer growths ever bloom. I don't know if that's just what they do, or if I'm doing something wrong or what, but that has been my experience.

[Roberta]

I think that's just what L. tenebrosa does... blooms in the summer. I have had sheaths develop in winter that ended up blooming in summer, which is rather weird. But that's its pattern.

[JScott]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I think that's just what L. tenebrosa does... blooms in the summer. I have had sheaths develop in winter that ended up blooming in summer, which is rather weird. But that's its pattern.

I wouldn't mind so much if all the sheathes bloomed in the summer, but the winter sheathes never bloom at all, so I have a plant with like eight leads with eight sheathes, and only one or two of them actually bloom. It disappoints me because I've got like 8 mature growths with sheathes, so I feel like I should have eight flower spikes. But I guess that's just not how it works.

[smweaver]

Originally Posted by JScott

I wouldn't mind so much if all the sheathes bloomed in the summer, but the winter sheathes never bloom at all, so I have a plant with like eight leads with eight sheathes, and only one or two of them actually bloom. It disappoints me because I've got like 8 mature growths with sheathes, so I feel like I should have eight flower spikes. But I guess that's just not how it works.

Eight leads is phenomenal. If the frustration ever gets to be too much, I will be happy to take the plant off your hands.

[sam1147]

Originally Posted by JScott

This plant is a seedling from Krull Smith's line breeding program for dark tenebrosas with somewhat wider petals and a darker purple throat. I have to say I think they have done an excellent job. There are a lot of janky tenebrosas out there with poor form and color, and this is not one of them. This one is spectacular.

When I bought this, I actually bought two. The first one bloomed a few weeks ago, and it was magnificent, but I think I like this one better. The color is better and that rich purple throat is amazing.

I do have "same same"

[JScott]

Originally Posted by smweaver

Eight leads is phenomenal. If the frustration ever gets to be too much, I will be happy to take the plant off your hands.

I have it in an 8 inch pot now, and I cannot accommodate a pot much bigger than that, so I will be dividing in a couple years or so. If you really want a division, you're the first one to ask, so you can get the pick of the litter. I'd be happy to share this plant. It really is spectacular. One of the finest tenebrosas I've ever seen.

[smweaver]

Thanks for the generous offer. I may actually take you up on that. Just send me a PM when you get closer to that point, please.