Monday, December 17, 2012

Stelis ciliolata 'Leia' CHM/AOS

This plant and the photos I've taken of have gotten some attention recently.  A close-up of the flowers was used on the cover of the December 2012 issue of Orchids, the magazine of the American Orchid Society.  That is a real honor which I've had only once before and that exactly a year ago (December 2011).  Both the original photo and the cover are shown below.



Last Saturday was the monthly judging of the Pacific Northwest Center, held at the Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington.  If I had known how bad traffic was going to be I probably would have stayed home, but in the end was glad I went.  This plant was given a Certificate of Horticultural Merit at the judging and now has the clonal name 'Leia.'

It was awarded with "approximately 100 dark red-purple successive flowers and 216 buds on 40 mature and 10 immature ... inflorescences," and the description mentioned the "striking color contrast on a floriferous petite plant."  The plant is from Ecuador, blooms faithfully every year at about this time and is grown in a 6 cm clay pot in sphagnum moss with other cool growing orchids.




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8 comments:

  1. UnknownDecember 19, 2012 at 4:31 AM

    Como ela é linda,e difícil de encontrar para compra. Parab´´ens pelo cultivo.
    abraços

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    1. RonDecember 19, 2012 at 12:10 PM

      Thanks, as always, for your comments and for taking the time to look. I'm on my way to your blog now.

      Delete
  2. UpupaepopsDecember 19, 2012 at 5:58 AM

    Congrats Ron. I have often thought being a professional Orchid photographer is your calling

    As usual, the mini blooms are enchanting.
    fuzzy kitten ears

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    1. RonDecember 19, 2012 at 12:11 PM

      Thanks, Marti. Orchids are sometimes easier to deal with than people, but you know that. Fuzzy kitten ears is a good description, I think, but a very elegant kitten IMO.

      Delete
  3. UnknownDecember 22, 2012 at 2:33 PM

    Nice Stelis! I loved! Nice blog you have here, I'll follow you.

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    1. RonDecember 22, 2012 at 6:16 PM

      Thanks for your kind comments. Do you have a blog? I looked but couldn't find one.

      Delete
  4. UnknownJanuary 9, 2013 at 10:15 AM

    Hi Ron,

    I usually only look here briefly, because usually I am not all that much into taking pictures of "potted plants". Even though I do have a few at home. However this one is really a jaw dropping picture. You do have a home studio to make those, or just use a flash to eliminate the background, or both?
    Anyways... it deserves to be on the title of the magazine. A stunningly beautiful plant. I suppose it is hard to keep.

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    1. RonJanuary 9, 2013 at 11:01 AM

      Hi Martin,

      I've been growing tropical orchids under lights and on window sills for over 30 years and they've always been the inspiration for my photography. It's only in the four or five years that I've gotten into native orchids and photographing them.
      I do most of my photography in a spare room and rarely use flash, just natural light from a nearby window and occasionally some old reflector fixtures, but they are incandescent and its hard to get color right. I generally use a black or dark blue background.
      This orchid is actually not that hard to keep. It grows like a weed for me and flowers profusely every winter and spring. Like most orchids it requires an open potting medium and this also likes cooler temps, but that's not hard to provide here.

      Delete

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