Cattleya iricolor

Also known as: Rainbow or Cattleya iricolor h.f. orlata Cattleya iricolor h.f. alba in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Provincia del Pastaza - Ecuador

General Information

Rainbow is a sympodial warm to hot growing epiphytic orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Ecuador.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 45cm. Each new growth has a single erect leaf that grows to 2-25cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 2-20cm

Flowers

Numerous fragrant blossoms appear during Winter

Fragrance

The orchid is fragrant.

Blooming Season

• Winter

Substrate(s)

• Coarse

Care Notes

This orchid goes into a dormancy phase during winter, during this phase it is best not to provide water unless the plant is starting to look thirsty. The lack of water increases the chance of flowering in spring, and also reduces the likelihood of any rot forming. Do not resume watering until new growth has appeared and is growing strongly.

Often a period of intense growth occurs after dormancy. During this time the amount of light, water and fertiliser the plant receives will directly impact the amount of growth that occurs during this time, and in the case of seedlings, will reduce the time required to reach maturity.

It's recommended to heavily reduce the water amount at the middle to end of autumn to trigger dormancy. Leaves on older bulbs will begin to drop during this time while the newer bulbs continue to mature until terminal leaves appear at the tip of the pseudobulbs.

Repotting can be done any time of the year though it's best to do it in early spring when new growth is appearing as this also means new roots will appear to help the plant anchor into the new media and offset any damage to established roots during the repotting process.

 

Fragrant:

• IsFragrant

Climate

Grows at low to high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 203mm to 380mm per day, heaviest in October and lightest in July. Humidity ranges from 87% to 89%, highest in January and lowest in February. Temperature ranges from 16C to 27C, highest in March (17C to 27C) and lowest in January (16C to 25C).

Watering

These orchids prefer a wet-dry cycle between waterings, they should be watered frequently but only when the moisture is approaching dryness, where the pot feels light and/or the media looks dry. Keep an eye on mounted orchids in warm weather as they may dehydrate quickly.

Fertiliser

dormant-medium-demand-orchid Apply fertiliser regularly at half strength year round. Use a high Nitrogen fertiliser during Spring and Summer. Use a high Phosphorous fertiliser during Summer.

Potting

These plants are quite forgiving and will do well repotted ever 2-3 years. The mix should be coarse, well draining, and allow space for air to move and for roots to grow. 

Alternatively, these plants will also do well mounted to tree fern or cork slabs, or mounted to trees.

Best time for repotting or mounting the orchids is the end of winter when new growths start to appear. Avoid repotting during hot weather,

This plant does well mounted.