Cattleya trianae

Cattleya trianae

Native to: Columbia. Cattleya trianae is widespread in the mountains near Magdalena, Popayan, Medellin, Bogota, Buga, and Ibague. The orchids traditionally have been found in areas ranging from the seashore to the mountains, but the best zone to find them is from 1,800 to 2,500 meters above sea level.

Plant Size: Cattleya trianae is a full-sized Cattleya. Unifoliate. Pseudobulbs are grow to about a foot (30 cm) long and are distictively club-shaped. The lone leaf is long and has a notch at the apex.

Flower Size: 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm)

Flower Description: Petals and sepals of Cattleya trianae are pinkish-lavender. The front lobe of the lip is dark lavender or crimson. Petals are wider than sepals and somewhat ruffled. The throat is yellow. Flower color is highly variable and its flowers range across 15 colors, from white to red. The flower stem grows to 12 inches (30 cm) long and bears between three (common) and 14 (uncommon) flowers.

Bloom Season: Winter to early Spring (late December to March)

Growing Temperature: Intermediate to Hot

Additional Information: New growth begins shortly after flowering finishes in the early spring and continues till August. The sheaths are formed when the growth matures but flower buds do not start to grow until October. Give typical cattleya growing conditions. There are some additional varieties available including Cattleya triane mooreana which has a dark splash on each petal. At one time, there were more named varieties of this species than any other Cattleya. It was quite popular as a winter cut flower for corsages in the early 20th century.

Cattleya trianae is the national flower of Columbia and is endangered in its native habitat as a result of environmental degradation and urbanization.

Synonyms: Cattleya bogotensis; Cattleya kimballiana; Cattleya labiata var. trianaei; Cattleya lindigii; Epidendrum labiatum var. trianaei