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gplainshoya

Question @ my Lacunosa...barely fragrant?

gplainshoya
11 years ago

Anyone else have one of the EA " mini Waxleaf Lacunosa" that is hardly fragrant? Is it just me? I have to literally put my nose on the peduncle to detect anything. Now my h. Obscura "Philip" is a whole other ball of wax ( pun intended.. heh- heh) ...one flower's scent can permeate a whole room....so wonderfully!!!! I am hoping my Lacunosa "Royal Flush" will be more promising...or maybe the "mini Waxleaf" will change...who knows. I had orchids like this also...supposedly super fragrant...but not for me. And I can smell Anything from a mile away!

....maybe something in the water....or NOT in the water.LOL.

THANKS in advance!

laura AKA "gplainshoya" in KC

Comments (6)

  • mdahms1979
    11 years ago

    Most plants are not fragrant all day because they conserve their fragrance and emit it when they have the best chance of luring their pollinator. Hoya lacunosa and many other Hoyas for that matter are night fragrant. Did you smell your plant's flowers after dark? Is the room the plant in dark at night or is there a good amount of light coming in from street lights etc?

    Most orchids perform this way as well and they are most fragrant for only a few hours a day. Many orchids are also night fragrant but there are also many that are most fragrant mid morning. What orchid did you grow for fragrance, Oncidium Sherry Baby? For many the warmth of the morning sun seems to trigger fragrance but each species (or hybrid) has it's own specific routine when it comes to emitting fragrance.

    Mike

  • gplainshoya
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank you Mike, for your response. Yes, I did know about night fragrance. At one point I had 40+ orchids...mainly Cattleyas, Brassavolas, and Encyclias. No Oncidiums, tho' Sharry Baby does smell great...I just don't like them...leaves not supple enough plus I kill all of them! LOL. I grew Species , Hybrids and intergenerics (LC's, BLC's, Epi's, etc)

    My Catt hybrids and intergenerics never failed to impress with the fragrance. I ordered a rare species from Ecuagenera in Ecuador, Cattleya Iricolor, ( one of the most fragrant species, supposedly) ...got it to bloom a number of times, very vigorous...and it never smelled, night or day. I am a night owl and am up late enough to smell my wafting flowers...my obscura is night fragrant....so heavenly once the sun is gone. No street lights...gotta be the water, LOL.

    Thank you for the suggestion tho'....much appreciated!

    laura aka gplainshoya

  • gplainshoya
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank you Mike, for your response. Yes, I did know about night fragrance. At one point I had 40+ orchids...mainly Cattleyas, Brassavolas, and Encyclias. No Oncidiums, tho' Sharry Baby does smell great...I just don't like them...leaves not supple enough plus I kill all of them! LOL. I grew Species , Hybrids and intergenerics (LC's, BLC's, Epi's, etc)

    My Catt hybrids and intergenerics never failed to impress with the fragrance. I ordered a rare species from Ecuagenera in Ecuador, Cattleya Iricolor, ( one of the most fragrant species, supposedly) ...got it to bloom a number of times, very vigorous...and it never smelled, night or day. I am a night owl and am up late enough to smell my wafting flowers...my obscura is night fragrant....so heavenly once the sun is gone. No street lights...gotta be the water, LOL.

    Thank you for the suggestion tho'....much appreciated!

    laura aka gplainshoya

  • mdahms1979
    11 years ago

    Cattleya iricolor is one I have wanted for a long time. I wish I had room for more orchids. I am seriously thinking of selling a bunch of fussy Bulbophyllums to make way for other orchids and Hoyas. I have a thing for Brassavola and I grow five different species at the moment. If you like the scent of Brassavola nodosa then try growing Hoya lambii, you'll live that one and it's fragrant during the day.
    I think genetics also plays a role in fragrance. Maybe this explains why some plants within a species have little fragrance while others are very fragrant. Also our noses all work a bit differently but that's usually a scent preference kinda thing vs not being able to smell certain scents.

    I hope you figure out this lack of fragrance issue. Were you able to smell your Brassavola's blooms?

    Mike

  • greedygh0st
    11 years ago

    Is this the first time your lacunosa has bloomed or has it bloomed a number of times, always without a fragrance? Sometimes it seems like I get an off batch of flowers that either release their fragrance in one burst the first night, or not at all. And then the next time the plant blooms it's nice again.

  • gplainshoya
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    @ Mike...Yes I will definitely try H. Lambii!!! Thank you so much....I killed my Cattleya Iricolor....I hate thinking about it---makes me ill.... It just got too cold last winter and croaked...but I have to say it was a very strong cultivar from Ecuagenera...and I was very impressed with the blooming frequency. Gorgeous flowers...I was definitely able to smell B. Nodosa, and a number of my Catt. Hybrids as well. I am selling/ trading many of my orchids in exchange for hoyas also!

    @ GG: This Lacunosa has bloomed a couple times...we'll see what happens...I'll give it a few more chances, then make room for another. I actually have other cultivars...such as "Poonsak" and "Royal Flush"...

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