Description
IMPORTANT NOTES:
***Please look at all the pictures carefully (and read the text in the photos) so you’ll know the sizes of the plants we’re offering in this listing.***
Plants are NOT in-bud/bloom when shipped.
We’re very excited to offer this white with red center flowering Sarcochilus cross! Sarcochilus hail from Australia, and like most everything else from Down Under, it is very tough! You actually have to neglect it extra hard to kill it! (We’re sure some of you out there are quite capable of that…but hopefully you’ll grow into better growers.) Sarcos seem like they can somehow put themselves into a state of suspended animation when times are tough. Unwatered, neglected plants will just sit there, like succulents (which they kind of resemble with their fleshy leaves), and wait out the bad times until it rains or their owners remember to water them. If they grew faster, we’d highly recommend them as a good orchid for beginners, but they tend to grow slowly when they’re small, accelerating in growth as they get bigger.
That being said, Sarcos have a lot going from them. This lovely from Australia is:
– compact, reaching blooming size in a 3.25-inch pot (see photos) PLEASE NOTE: plants are NOT in-bud/bloom when shipped.
– floriferous, producing spikes with 8 – 10+ blooms
– charming, with red, pink, white (and other colors) flowers that may have intricate patterns
– hardy, able to handle near-freezing temps or triple digit heat
– fragrant!
Its biggest drawback is that it is a slow grower when young and small, so please keep this in mind when growing these.
If you’re looking for something beyond the common stuff in orchids, but also a laid-back, easygoing plant, Sarcochilus will satisfy!
The hybrid we’re offering here has a red parent and a pink parent, meaning you can expect the progeny to be red and/or pink, and possibly with some patterning. As anyone from a large family knows, genetics can be quite complicated, and you may see unexpected results, so some of these may bloom out white. We haven’t bloomed any from this cross yet, but we’re confident we’ll see some stellar examples. WAIT, THERE’S MORE: This cross is much more vigorous than other Sarcos we’ve grown, so the slow growth with other Sarco types might not be a factor here. Since these are all grown from seed from an F1 cross (i.e., first-generation) and are not clones, there will be variability in flower color.
ABOUT THE PLANTS BEING OFFERED:
– Plants are NOT IN BLOOM when shipped.
– Plants are grown in 2.25-inch or 3.25-inch square pots.
– Water twice per week, keeping media evenly moist. Avoid direct sun. Fertilize every other week. Can handle a wide range of temperatures.
– Blooms will look something like the flowers in the pics, with some variations in patterning and color.
PLEASE NOTE: plants are NOT IN BUD/BLOOM when shipped.
Sizes Offered (please see photo of representative plants of different sizes).
SMALL — potted in 2.25-inch square pots, about two years from reaching Blooming Size
NBS (Near Blooming Size) — potted in 3.25-inch square pots, about 12 – 18 months from reaching Blooming Size
BS (Blooming Size) — potted in 3.25-inch square pots, capable of blooming at this size; may have old flower spikes from previous bloomings
A species of the Sarcochilus genus was first cataloged in 1810, preceding the discovery of Paphiopedilums, Cattleyas, and many other orchid types that are far more common in cultivation today. It’s a wonder that Sarcos have been so overlooked for so long (although not in Australia), but whatever the reasons behind their relative obscurity, here is a fantastic opportunity to get an uncommon but lovely, charming, and distinctive orchid that will give any collection more character.