Wikimedia Commons
Orchidaceae
Cattleya Orchid
Cattleya labiata
Mature charm, refined beauty.
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Genus
- Cattleya
- Native to
- Brazil, Central America
- Bloom season
- Fall, Winter
- Type
- Epiphytic orchid
- Height
- 30–60 cm
- Sunlight
- Bright indirect to filtered light
- Soil
- Coarse bark mix
- Water
- Weekly; let dry between watering
- Hardiness
- 10–12
- Lifespan
- Decades
Did you know
- Cattleya is known as the 'queen of orchids' and was the orchid that ignited the Victorian 'orchidelirium' obsession of the 1800s.
- It was first discovered when an Englishman used the leaves as packing material to ship other plants from Brazil — a few of the discarded leaves bloomed unexpectedly.
- Cattleyas are the classic corsage flower — for most of the 20th century, no Mother's Day or prom was complete without one.
- The genus is named after William Cattley, an English horticulturist who first successfully bloomed the rediscovered packing-material plants.
- It's the national flower of Colombia (Cattleya trianae) and Costa Rica (Guarianthe skinneri, formerly Cattleya skinneri).
Color meanings
Purple
Admiration
Pink
Feminine grace