Description
IMPORTANT NOTE: these plants are NOT IN BUD/BLOOM when shipped. PLEASE look at all the pictures in this listing so you know the condition/size of plant you’ll be getting.
Cymbidium Vanessa Amorosi
QUICK FACTS:
Easy to grow, easy to bloom Cymbidium. Great for new orchid growers!
Flower fragrance like freshly-cut watermelon
Warm and cold-tolerant (avoid temps below 30 F). Grow in moderate to bright shady conditions. Water 2 – 3 times/week. Orchid bark (fir bark) media/soil works very well for Cymbidium orchids.
IMPORTANT NOTE: these plants are NOT IN BUD/BLOOM when shipped. PLEASE look at all the pictures in this listing so you know the condition/size of plant you’ll be getting. Plants shipped BARE ROOT (unless you order IN POT)
Where would show biz be without Australians? That’s like asking where would the orchid world be without Australian orchids (natural species and hybrids). The answer to both questions is: worse off, and a lot less attractive.
For a country that got its start as a British penal colony, Australia has certainly produced a massive number of famous and beautiful show-biz folk, and continues to export them to the good ol’ US of A. To give you an example of how attractive Aussies are, I’ll refer you to the show Vikings, starring Travis Fimmel as the chieftan, Ragnar. Here’s how got his first job in America:
‘Fimmel headed overseas [to the USA] and was signed on the spot with agency LA Models in 2002 after walking into their office broke and barefoot.’
On the spot. Broke. Barefoot. Wow.
Anyways…Vanessa Amorosi is a famous singer in Australia, after whom this Cymbidium hybrid was named in 2001, when the singer was about 20 years old. She actually came to the US to get away from show biz by settling down in Los Angeles. Seems strange to leave the Down Under limelight only to come live at the center of American show biz, but apparently, Australians operate differently from Americans, and seem drawn to LA.
A lot of great work in Cymbidium breeding has been done in Australia, and they have a thriving if insular orchid scene down there. The insularity comes not from the orchid folks, but from the extremely strict import/export limitations the Australian government imposes on the orchid trade. Very hard to get live orchids, even in sterile propagation flasks, either into and out of Australia, which his a shame – they’ve got a lot of beautiful things to share with the rest of the world…
Fortunately, we’ve got Cym. Vanessa Amorosi, a stunning white and pink Cymbidium hybrid that typically blooms in the fall. It is a warm-tolerant hybrid, so folks in Florida and other warm places will be able to flower it without sticking their plants in the refrigerator; probably wouldn’t fit, anyways. These are Blooming Size plants in 5” diameter pots; they’re quite pot bound with huge root systems, so they will be shipped in pot, and NOT in-bud/bloom.
ABOUT CYMBIDIUMS AND WHY THEY’RE GREAT
Cymbidium orchids are one of the most popular orchid types grown in the world.
Many excellent qualities make them favorites in the flower world:
COLORFUL FLOWERS — Breeders have done an excellent job producing an incredible variety of colors. Colors, spots, splashes: cymbidium blooms have them all.
SHOWY FLOWER SPIKES — Some types hold their spikes erect with big, round flowers and others produce pendulous spikes with graceful arching flowers.
LOTS OF FLOWERS — Some varieties can have 30+ flowers on a single spike! Most modern hybrids have at least ten.
LONG-LASTING BLOOMS — Many modern Cymbidium blooms stay open for two months (or more!).
EASY TO GROW — I usually recommend using reverse osmosis/rainwater/distilled water on orchids when possible, but Cymbidiums don’t seem to need it. They grow outside in non-freezing zones and are used as landscape plants and get the same water as all the other plants. (Of course, using RO/rainwater/distilled doesn’t hurt!)
EASY TO BLOOM — Cymbidiums are not fussy about blooming. They bloom regularly year after year, unlike a lot of other orchids who take up room and board but don’t bloom or do much else! Sort of like kids these days.
HARDY — A mature Cymbidium is a beast of plant. Big, tough bulbs, and thick, stiff leaves make them tough plants that can handle a lot. No shrinking violets, these!
HOW TO GROW THIS CYMBIDIUM
Cymbidium orchids are among the easiest orchids to grow. They grow well in chunky orchid bark (fir bark typically), or thoroughly rinsed coconut husk. Avoid overpotting (i.e., putting the plant in a pot that is too big) — select a pot that is not too snug but also leaves room for growth. Make sure your pot has drainage holes at the bottom. Water twice per week, and fertilize lightly every week or so with any balanced fertilizer. For smaller plants, avoid frost; larger plants can handle near freezing temperatures, but do not leave outside if you grow in an area that gets snow. For blooming size plants (usually three growths/bulbs), allow the plant to experience cooler temperatures (in the 40s F) to set the bud the following season. Larger plants can handle bright light, but younger plants should be grown in bright shade or allowed to receive diffuse light.
