Vanda mariae 'Memoria Martha Jane Zilisch' CHM/AOS

[shadytrake]

Introducing my newly awarded Vanda mariae 'Memoria Martha Jane Zilisch' CHM/AOS 84 points. This is a relatively new species described in 2016 by Martin Motes and never identified in the AOS Orchids Plus.

I named it after my mother who had a green thumb and would have loved growing orchids with me. Awarded on Mother's Day Weekend 2018.

Including the photos submitted to SITF (Species Identification Task Force) as the award is provisional until ID confirmed.

[bethmarie]

Congratulations, Melissa! What a stunning plant and great connection to your mother on mother's day.

I recently saw an example of this species for the first time and loved it on sight. You must have a greenhouse? I'd be seriously challenged to keep even a smaller one watered enough.

Way to go!

[shadytrake]

Hi Beth,

Yes I do have a greenhouse. We grow the traditional Florida Vanda way bare root on hangers. They get pH adjusted watered almost daily and sometimes twice a day in the hot summer. Fed every other day.

After extensive research, help from my great Vanda friend Ray Potts, and a lot of trial and error we finally have the setup working smoothly.

To everyone out there, you can do it! Find the orchid types you like and set up your growing conditions to match. Don't get hung up on having a lot of different growing condition orchids in the same space. Save yourself a lot of headache and money and stick to your growing conditions. You will kill orchids..it is a fact of growing. I no longer keep a death list. I no longer try to save a struggler.

[Dollythehun]

Very impressive!

[Leafmite]

Congratulations! The flowers are beautiful and I love all those roots!

[rastafouni]

Nice name for the cultivar.

Gorgeous species and thanks for sharing. Very interesting.