Friday Orchid Blogging

This is a paphiopedilum. I'm on the road, so I don't have the exact cross, but it's bred to have long tressles, like it has. This is a first time bloom on this plant, so I'm very pleased. The trestles are about 15 inches long (they can get up to 3 feet on some plants) - if you look closely, you'll see they go to the bottom of the photo. Some think they may help bugs crawl from the ground, up the trestles, and then pollinate the plant.

Often the first time blooming, an orchid's flower is only so-so. You don't get to see how it really looks, at full potential, until the plant gets older. Next week I'll be showing you another paph that is on its second round of blooming. Last year, when it first bloomed, I hated it. This year, it's much darker, and just stunning. But that's for next week.