Coelogyne xyrekes

I am thrilled about this bloom. The satin and velvet textures of the flower petals in combination of the pink hues whisper romance. Ok so maybe that is just in my head. But you can see where I am coming from right? Right?? Although, I showed the picture below to my mom, and her response was, "That looks like that bug. You know the one." I eventually figured out which one she was talking about but it does not support my romance statement. So that is enough discussion on the buggy appearance. My mom feels the droopy flower assist in the bug like appearance. I, on the other hand, think it adds to the mystic and romance. Mystic and romance are my final answers.

It has not been in my collection long so I can not take much credit for the bloom. But here is what I know about the plant and how I have been growing it for the last month. This species comes from Thailand, Malaysia, and Sumatra. It is an intermediate to cool grower. It is found at elevations between 2300 - 6300 feet, which is quite a range. So I think it has some temperature tolerance, but prefers the cooler end of the spectrum. Mine is growing in intermediate temperature. I will report back on how that works out for me in the long run. It requires moisture year round and will quickly shrivel when moisture needs are not met. As for the lighting, I have it in a West window for the time.

It blooms sequentially. Therefore as it matures it can put on a long show. Some growers say it well eventually bloom the majority of the year. The bronze leaves are another nice feature of this plant. Young leaves have a bronze appearance when they first start out. This adds a nice contrast to the mature green leaves. When spring comes and it is time to repot, I am going to place it in a hanging basket to better enjoy the display.