C. Chocolate Drop spike

This plant (aurantiaca x guttata) is finally maturing.  The second spike, not pictured, has many buds - too early to count.

Sap on C. Callistoglossa alba

Strong plants often exude a sticky, sweet sap while a new growth is developing.  Here you can see the sap glistening on a growth.

C. C.G. Roebling

Blooms on a relatively weak growth.  High expectations for next year.

Cattleya maxima

Not as nice as last year, but still nice.

C. Callistoglossa

This plant, acquired in June from Cal-Orchid, finally started root growth.  It had completely filled the small plastic pot it came in, so needed to be re-potted.  After some delicate work, I finally got it out of the pot and saw there was almost no media - it was mostly healthy roots.  I put the plant in an Aircone pot with orchiata and some charcoal mixed in and since it is a big plant, I staked it with two large bamboo stakes (you can see one in this pic).  Here is the plant a few days after re-potting - it vigorously pushing out large numbers of new roots on three leads.

Imported C. percivaliana

A while back I posted that I had acquired a few bare root imports from S. America.  I had mixed success getting them established.  Here is one that is only now starting to show some vigor, a C. percivaliana, which based on the sheath, looks like it will flower this winter.  

I don't think I am going to be doing much ordering of bare root plants from S. American vendors unless there is really something special available - in my conditions it can be hard to get these plants going and for all I know, even in optimal conditions it may be tricky.  These plants are typically dried down prior to shipping, so bareroot in these cases may mean "no live roots".  For what it's worth, I had much better success with my orders from Bela Vista than my orders from Floralia and Ecuagenera.  I can't say for sure that there is a difference among these vendors in how plants are prepped or in the health of the plants - it could be the particular plants I've ordered.  It is simply an empirical observation.

Stanhopea jenischiana

Second inflorescence of the summer.

C. C.G. Roebling surprise buds

I bought this plant on my June visit to Cal-Orchid.  It had previously bloomed on two leads but the newest, immature growth had no sheath.  I was surprised to see these two small buds that emerged despite the absence of a sheath.  One sees this occasionally - in my experience, plants with C. purpurata ancestry are more likely to do it, but this is just anecdotal and based on a small sample size.  These flowers will not be as nice as those I expect next year but at least I will get to see the coloration.

Cattleya guttata buds

I've had this plant for about 1.5 years.  I thought there was a good chance the newest growth, which was fairly tall, would bloom.  There was a sheath, but young plants often make a sheath that does not flower - I thought that would likely happen here.  I was wrong.

Laelia gouldiana spike

I bought this a few years ago - close relative of Laelia anceps.  It wasn't doing well in a pot - I moved it to a mount and wrapped the mount with some sphagnum.  It has been doing better but still is growing only from one lead.  Last year's growth started a spike (which you can see) but it never elongated and did not flower.  This year's growth also has a spike and it looks like it may flower.

Epidendrum veroscriptum

I acquired this last year from Andy's Orchids.  It has two strong new growths you can see in front.  Hopefully it will flower!

Cattleya loddigesii sheath

I have been growing this for a few years and finally have a sheath.  Hopefully it will flower.