Bamboo Orchid (Actually a Cymbidium)

[Johns]

Several years ago a plant hobbyist friend gave me a "Bamboo Orchid" (Arundina graminifolia) plant.  It has spent

summers in the yard and winters in my hoop-house, and finally decided to bloom this spring.  It's blooms do not

look much like the bamboo orchids I've seen on the Web, but look more like Cymbidiums to me with the fleshy

nature of the petals.  Any how, here they are:










For those of you who are very alert, you can make out the form of one of my beagles enjoying a soft chair in the sunroom in the background.

[Lynda]

Johns, I'm looking at the leaves, the spikes and the flowers and that is a cymbidium.  I come from a long line of cymbidium growers (at one time my sainted mother had over 500 plants, only slightly edging out my grandmother) and I have no doubt about what it is.  A very pretty cymbidium... 

[miguynmkoi]

I have cymbidiums just like yours growing and blooming outside right now too.

AHHHH! To come back as Johns beagles! 

[Joyce]

I agree, it's a cymbidium.
Mine are blooming now too.
I leave mine out to the first light frost, bring them into the garage for a couple weeks,
then they go in the sunroom.
By the Holidays I have spikes, and start blooming in January.

[maryvonne]

Lovely Cymbidium John. I have one similar to that also just starting to bloom. Your Beagle looks very comfy!

[Johns]

Well, in light of the opinions expressed here, I am now convinced that my suspicion was correct:  my orchid is not a "Bamboo Orchid, but is, in fact a Cymbidium.  The closest match I can find is Cymbidium Gainsville, which, unless someone has a better match, I will assume is correct.
Thanks ya'll for the opinions!

Since the only instructions the fellow who gave me this plant gave me was to "put it in a large pot"  The thing is HUGE and weighs at least 40 pounds (Which is the weight of an old fashioned  high density concrete block, not the sissy blocks around today).

[Joyce]

John, I divide mine every 2-3 years with a ginzu knife.
I use 18" clay pots filled with a 50/50 mix of Miracle Grow Potting Soil,
and orchid bark chip mix. (both can be found at HD or Lowes)
I fill up the pots 1/2 way with the mix, then plop in the newly divided chunks of Cymbidiums
(I have 3 colors now, chartreuse, rusty-orange and rosy pink)
then toss in a half cup of Osmocote around the rootball,
pack in more potting mix up to within 1" of the top of the pot.

This year they will need to be repotted again since they are about to crack their pots.
This time I am planning on using those big coco fiber lined hanging wrought iron planters.
(found some NICE big ones at Costco that look like the ones below but square and chunkier)

This way I can mount epiphytic orchids all over the outside of the pots onto the coco fiber and conserve on 'pot' space.
And orchids love the air circulation of hanging coco fiber open air pots.
You can drench them every day and not have to worry about them rotting.

[miguynmkoi]

Thanks for that tip Joyce.  Good idea for saving pot space and I'm sure a better environment for the cyms.

[Double S]

I was at a HOme Show this weekend and saw Orchids in person for the first time. Don't know where I've been all these years.  Now I'm hooked and in love!!!!  I see a new collection coming on 

[kitfoxdrvr]

Be careful!  Once you find out they are for the most part easy to grow, you will be addicted.  My collection ranges from A to Z (Angraecum to Zygopetalum) and is still growing (hee hee)!

Steve

[Double S]

Don't even own one yet....and I'm hooked   

[miguynmkoi]

My Cyms are outdoors year round under a nectarine tree.  But the flowers last longer if I bring cuttings indoors.  Have to leave some outside for a view from dining room window.

[Joyce]

Gorgeous! 

[Kittyzee]

Wow, how beautiful!  The climate here is so different from yours Annette, I can't imagine the fun I would have learning to grow plants in a warmer climate year round...   I just have to try and simulate it in different areas around my house, gee if only we didn't have to have a sofa in front of my big bay window that faces east...

[CoolShades]

Hey Johns:

 Looks like you have a Cymbidium.  Since most people on the forum can relate to the true to name Water lilies, Orchid growers did this ~ 15-20 years ago.  So those who want non-named orchids can go to the big-box stores and spend $12-30 on an orchid, but if you want the identied crosses with better characteristics one will be paying 3-4x the price for the same size plant.  Similar to water lilies there are many crosses that look similar so provenance is important to identify an orchid

I mention this since you are trying to identify the specific Cymbidium and just as many people on this forum recommend you should just call it a pretty water lilly or in this case Cymbidium.

Gary

[tinkster]

very pretty!

tinkster