Name:	Laeliocattleya Gold Digger 'Buttercup'	Seed parent1:	Laeliocattleya Red Gold
Date acquired:	13 March 2004	Pollen parent:	Cattleya Warpaint
Source:	Orchids by Hausermann	Season:	Winter - Spring
Container:	8" clay pot	Climate:	Intermediate

2 March 2006

I picked up this orchid during during my spring trip to Orchids by Hausermann in 2004.  This Laeliocattleya Gold Digger 'Buttercup' was huge; I counted at least 16 pseudobulbs in the pot, and the flowers, at least 3" across, were big, too.  Last year, this plant put up seven new growths, and six of them flowered.  Unfortunately, the flower show was unspectacular; many of the flowers emerged deformed, and they were nestled within the foliage.  I suspect that a few watering lapses and perhaps a little malnourishment contributed to that diappointing performance.

This year, however, the plant opened twenty flowers on four spikes.  There are two malformed flowers this time, but for the most part the display looks very nice.  This plant is enormous, as you can tell from the picture on the left, with the flowers lofting nearly a foot and a half above the pot.  With so many flowers, the plant is fragrant, smelling faintly of tangerines in the late morning and early afternoon.

Click on the thumbnails to view detailed images.

References:
(1)  International Orchid Register: www.rhs.org.uk/plants/registration_orchids.asp