My Little Red Sarcochilus
About five years ago, I bought this little Sarcochilus hybrid at an orchid show, and it’s been a reliable bloomer. It pumps out brilliant red flowers from a four inch (10 cm) pot for a month or two in late spring and early summer. They’re such a rich red that my cell phone camera can’t do them justice, but I think the color in the photos is impressive nonetheless.
When I bought this hybrid, it didn’t have a registered name. Instead, the nametag listed two parents, Sarcochilus Kulnura Spice and Sarcochilus Fairy. Its flower buds and stems start growing with red spots on a white background, but as the buds mature, they turn redder until the white disappears. This plant lives outdoors all year. It’s near a close relative, Sarcochilus hartmanii, an Australian species which also thrives on the Northern California coast. That species blooms regularly with crystal white flowers (shown in the final photo below.) It’s a larger plant than the hybrid, and I believe it tolerates our chilly winds better. Still, the small hybrid grows little by little each year. With luck, these dazzling red blossoms will continue to grace our garden for a long time.
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