This weekend, I'm sharing some pics of my coconut orchid. If you've never heard of a coconut orchid, it's the orchid that coconuts comes from.
Just kidding! It's official name is Maxillaria tenuifolia. But the name coconut orchid comes from the incredible scent of its flowers. My entire dining room smells like coconut right now.
I bought this beauty at last year's Pacific Orchid Expo. The nursery that sold it to me said it was blooming size. So I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, earlier this month (almost a year after I bought the plant), I saw the tell-tale buds. And this week, they started to bloom! They need to figure out a way for folks to download fragrances over the internet.
19 comments:
Very cool. I love to grow flowers outside, but I've never tried inside. I think it gets too cold here, like at night when you're in bed and the furnace is turned down to 50 degrees. I'm guessing the flowers would not be happy.
Kalyn - You know, I'm the exact opposite! Most of my growing experiements take place indoors. I'm a complete and utter novice when it comes to outdoor gardening.
That is a beautiful flower! Sure worth the wait! You are an avid orchid fan! Must be an expensive hobby.
Gini - It definitely was worth the wait! I'm actually still a novice orchid-grower. So I haven't yet invested in the whole artificial light / humidity mister set-up. And the plants themselves aren't that expensive. Most of the ones I have were in the $10 - $25 range. Which in the long run, I figure, is cheaper than buying a bouquet of flowers.
I am uber impressed. I love orchids and the thought of vanilla and coconut scented ones are just enchanting! However, I could not grow even a cacti with my purple thumb. So jealous ...
mm - thanks! Some orchids can have the most intoxicating fragrances. Truth be told, though, I have killed my share of orchids.
Your post is so enticing! I have never tried an orchid. My Mom had a great one that she babied--but can't recall the fragrance. Thanks for the motivation and your great site.
Fran - Unfortunately, not all orchids have a fragrance. And I hear there is one orchid that smells like carrion. I think I'll pass on that one. Thanks so much for the positive feedback! I can hardly believe that I've been at this blogging thing for almost a year now.
That's beautiful!! Do orchids grow particularly well in San Francisco? I visited a home there and they had pots of orchids growing like crazy. Later they moved the orchids to Roseville and they didn't do well at all. It must be wonderful to smell yours.
Sher - Thank you! I think it depends on the type of orchid. They can have different light and temperature requirements. But, usually they don't do well in direct sunlight which we don't get a lot of in my neighborhood.
Wow - I adore orchids. I have about 5 at the moment, but I'm always on the lookout for more.
This is absolutely gorgeous. I love the foliage, even without the knock-out flowers.
Fiber - I've found that you can get some great deals at Trader Joe's. I totally agree with you about the foliage. It's great when an orchid has nice foliage because it's what you're looking at the majority of the year.
I love the beauty of orchids. I have one which is slightly feeling sorry for itself... i've moved it in the kitchen to catch the sun but still not happy. I hope it doesn't commit suicide!
Your coconut orchid looks gorgeous! I would like to have one.
Mae Gabriel - Don't give up hope yet! Sometimes all an orchid may need is just a tad more sunshine to make it happier. Also, are you giving it any fertilizer/orchid food? I found that mine do much better since I started adding some to their water.
Orchid food? Ooops! Now, let me find that plant food in the shed.... can rose plant food be ok to feed my dying orchid?
No wonder it's dying... it's malnourished. Please let me know before i poison it instead! lol.
Mae Gabriel - Ooh! Sorry it took a while to get back to you. I had a pretty intense work-weekend. I'm not sure if rose plant food is similar to orchid food? I've never grown roses, but would love to! My understanding is that orchids prefer a higher nitrogen fertilizer if they are growing in bark. Check out www.orchids.org for more info! They're a great resource.
hi, i just bought a coconut orchid for the first time yesterday. placed it in a sunny bathroom window and it's fabulous. good-bye to all those fake air freshners. anyway, wondering if you have any good tips on keeping them alive and looking beautiful.
Fertilizer any good 20/20/20 will do. I put little in a bowl dilute with water and let the roots set in it for a couple of minutes once a month. Spray mist with really weak mixture of miracle grow. (just a slight hint of light blue)
I really love this plant, it looks so different from any other, but at the same time is a very beautiful plant so it has been treated with care. Buy Viagra Viagra
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