Cattleyas
What else to expect from "The Queen of Orchids" but to be the showiest of them? In white with yellow lip or white with red lip or yellow with red lip or orchid colored, they can be breathtaking. But of course they cannot have it all and the price for their extravagant beauty is the relatively short 2 to 3 weeks life span of their flowers (the flowers of larger, older plants, may last up to 4 weeks).
Even so, most of us can hardly resist their majestic appeal, especially when, as some do, they further entice us to succumb to their charm with a sweet, delicate or intoxicating fragrance which is most vivid in bright daytime light and in relatively warm conditions (72 F+).
Cattleyas and related hybrids tend to bloom mostly in spring and fall. Cattleyas are 12" to 18" high and their flowers are from 4" to 6" across. Hybrids with other genera may produce miniature or compact plants with smaller flowers and a variety of shapes and colors.
