Cattleya Queen of Christmas

A cool growing orchid with that something special. Laelia purpurata grows similar to Cattleya or Dendrobium orchids and has a stunning display. Each flower grows over 10cm and is a gorgeous crisp white complimented with a splash of maroon on the lip. Each cane has up to six blooms, from as early as late spring, but usually they appear from mid December – hence the ‘Queen of Christmas’. This is an usual time to get orchids of this calibre in flower, so if orchids are your thing, get them while you can!
The flowers have a sweet fragrance and each lasts around a month. The blooms emerge from long, think sheathes that form in spring.
Hailing from South America they are now officially Cattleya, but Laelia is more common. The plants have a single, bright green, upright leaf. They are sturdy and quite easy to grow requiring bright light, and are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures. They originate in coastal areas of Brazil where they even take full sun.

Supplied as: Pots