{"id":31031,"date":"2018-11-21T16:42:08","date_gmt":"2018-11-22T00:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/?p=31031"},"modified":"2018-11-26T18:35:37","modified_gmt":"2018-11-27T02:35:37","slug":"the-sweet-scent-of-brassavola-orchids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/2018\/11\/21\/the-sweet-scent-of-brassavola-orchids\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sweet Scent of Brassavola Orchids"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_1_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31227 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_1_800px-128x85.jpg\" alt=\"Brassavola nodosa, orchid species flowers, fragrant white flowers, Lady-of-the-night orchid, Orqu\u00eddea dama de noche, Orchids in the Park 2010, San Francisco, California\" width=\"128\" height=\"85\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_1_800px-128x85.jpg 128w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_1_800px-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_1_800px-768x512.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_1_800px.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 128px) 100vw, 128px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_Susan_Fuchs_FCC_AOS_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31229 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_Susan_Fuchs_FCC_AOS_800px-128x96.jpg\" alt=\"Brassavola nodosa 'Susan Fuchs' FCC\/AOS, orchid species flower, fragrant white flower, Lady-of-the-night orchid, Orqu\u00eddea dama de noche, Orchids in the Park 2017, San Francisco, California\" width=\"128\" height=\"96\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_Susan_Fuchs_FCC_AOS_800px-128x96.jpg 128w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_Susan_Fuchs_FCC_AOS_800px-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_Susan_Fuchs_FCC_AOS_800px-768x576.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_Susan_Fuchs_FCC_AOS_800px.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 128px) 100vw, 128px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_2_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31228 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_2_800px-128x96.jpg\" alt=\"Brassavola nodosa, orchid species flowers, fragrant white flowers, Lady-of-the-night orchid, Orqu\u00eddea dama de noche, Pacific Orchid Expo 2006, San Francisco, California\" width=\"128\" height=\"96\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_2_800px-128x96.jpg 128w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_2_800px-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_2_800px-768x576.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_nodosa_2_800px.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 128px) 100vw, 128px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aos.org\/orchids\/orchids-a-to-z\/letter-b\/brassavola.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brassavola orchids<\/a> feature showy, durable, fragrant flowers. These <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/identify\/orchids\/cattleya.html\">Cattleya<\/a> relatives have white or greenish-yellow blooms which emit a strong, sweet <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/17\/night-fragrant-orchids\/\">fragrance at night<\/a>. The most popular in cultivation is Brassavola nodosa, shown in the first row of photos above. It&#8217;s an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/18\/easy-orchid-species\/\">easy species to grow<\/a>. Native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America, its nocturnal perfume inspires the Spanish nickname <em>orqu\u00eddea dama de noche<\/em>, or lady of the night orchid.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_cucullata_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31223 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_cucullata_800px-96x128.jpg\" alt=\"Brassavola cucullata, daddy long-legs orchid, orchid species flower, fragrant white flower, Orchids in the Park 2017, San Francisco, California\" width=\"96\" height=\"128\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_cucullata_800px-96x128.jpg 96w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_cucullata_800px-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_cucullata_800px.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 96px) 100vw, 96px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rhyncholaelia_digbyana_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31231 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rhyncholaelia_digbyana_800px-128x96.jpg\" alt=\"Rhyncholaelia digbyana, AKA Brassavola digbyana, orchid species flower, fragrant flower with fringed flower lip, national flower of Honduras, Pacific Orchid Expo 2018, San Francisco, California\" width=\"128\" height=\"96\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rhyncholaelia_digbyana_800px-128x96.jpg 128w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rhyncholaelia_digbyana_800px-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rhyncholaelia_digbyana_800px-768x576.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rhyncholaelia_digbyana_800px.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 128px) 100vw, 128px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_perrinii_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31230 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_perrinii_800px-96x128.jpg\" alt=\"Brassavola perrinii, orchid species flowers, fragrant white and yellow flowers, Pacific Orchid Expo 2012, San Francisco, California\" width=\"96\" height=\"128\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_perrinii_800px-96x128.jpg 96w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_perrinii_800px-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_perrinii_800px.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 96px) 100vw, 96px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Brassavolas can handle <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/care\/details\/temperature.html\">warm<\/a>, dry conditions better than many orchids. They need <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/2012\/09\/05\/cattleya-care\/\">standard Cattleya care<\/a>, with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/2011\/03\/29\/let-the-sunshine-in\/\">some full sun<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/care\/details\/humidity.html\">good humidity and air movement<\/a>, time to dry out between <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/care\/details\/water.html\">waterings<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/care\/details\/dormancy.html\">winter dormancy<\/a>. Their terete, or pencil-shaped, leaves are efficient at storing water, and can handle <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/care\/details\/light.html\">bright light<\/a>. They are often <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/2013\/05\/21\/mounted-orchid-care\/\">grown on mounts<\/a>, or in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/care\/details\/potting.html\">clay pots with large bark<\/a>, to allow them to dry quickly.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_acaulis_2_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31222 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_acaulis_2_800px-77x128.jpg\" alt=\"Brassavola acaulis, orchid species flowers and leaves, terete or pencil-shaped leaves, fragrant white flowers, Montreal Botanical Garden, Montreal, Quebec, Canada\" width=\"77\" height=\"128\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_acaulis_2_800px-77x128.jpg 77w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_acaulis_2_800px-180x300.jpg 180w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_acaulis_2_800px.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 77px) 100vw, 77px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_acaulis_1_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31221 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_acaulis_1_800px-128x96.jpg\" alt=\"Brassavola acaulis, orchid species flowers, fragrant white flowers, Montreal Botanical Garden, Montreal, Quebec, Canada\" width=\"128\" height=\"96\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_acaulis_1_800px-128x96.jpg 128w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_acaulis_1_800px-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_acaulis_1_800px-768x576.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_acaulis_1_800px.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 128px) 100vw, 128px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_David_Sander_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31224 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_David_Sander_800px-128x96.jpg\" alt=\"Brassavola David Sander, orchid hybrid flower, fragrant white and pink flower with fringed flower lip, Montreal Botanical Garden, Montreal, Quebec, Canada\" width=\"128\" height=\"96\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_David_Sander_800px-128x96.jpg 128w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_David_Sander_800px-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_David_Sander_800px-768x576.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_David_Sander_800px.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 128px) 100vw, 128px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Brassavolas are part of the lineage of many Cattleya <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/2011\/05\/04\/hybrid-vigor\/\">hybrids<\/a>. They have contributed their toughness, fragrance, elaborate fringed lips, or long, narrow petals to their descendants. Plants with names like Brassolaeliocattleya (abbreviated Blc.) and Brassocattleya (abbreviated Bc.) owe the &#8220;Brasso-&#8221; to this genus. A couple of these species used to be Brassavolas until they were renamed as Rhyncholaelias, but old appellations often persist in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/2011\/06\/28\/hybrid-names\/\">hybrid names<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rhyncholaelia_glauca_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31232 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rhyncholaelia_glauca_800px-96x128.jpg\" alt=\"Rhyncholaelia glauca, AKA Brassavola glauca, orchid species flower, fragrant white flower, Pacific Orchid Expo 2013, San Francisco, California\" width=\"96\" height=\"128\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rhyncholaelia_glauca_800px-96x128.jpg 96w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rhyncholaelia_glauca_800px-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Rhyncholaelia_glauca_800px.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 96px) 100vw, 96px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_mounted_Hawaii_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31226 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_mounted_Hawaii_800px-96x128.jpg\" alt=\"Brassavola leaves growing on tree trunk at Foster Botanical Garden, terete or pencil-shaped leaves, epiphyte or air plant, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii\" width=\"96\" height=\"128\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_mounted_Hawaii_800px-96x128.jpg 96w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_mounted_Hawaii_800px-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_mounted_Hawaii_800px.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 96px) 100vw, 96px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_mounted_Costa_Rica_800px.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31225 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_mounted_Costa_Rica_800px-128x96.jpg\" alt=\"Brassavola orchid growing on underside of tree branch on Pacific Ocean beach, leaves and roots, terete or pencil-shaped leaves, epiphyte or air plant, Quepos, Costa Rica\" width=\"128\" height=\"96\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_mounted_Costa_Rica_800px-128x96.jpg 128w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_mounted_Costa_Rica_800px-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_mounted_Costa_Rica_800px-768x576.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Brassavola_mounted_Costa_Rica_800px.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 128px) 100vw, 128px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The final photo in this post shows just how tough these plants are. It&#8217;s a Brassavola <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/2010\/02\/17\/up-a-tree-2\/\">growing on the underside of a tree branch<\/a> on a beach in Costa Rica, only a few yards (a few meters) from the Pacific&#8217;s waves. In brutal tropical heat, and doused with salt spray, there were many other Brassavolas nearby, obviously happy despite the tough conditions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brassavola orchids feature showy, durable, fragrant flowers. These Cattleya relatives have white or greenish-yellow blooms which emit a strong, sweet fragrance at night. The most popular in cultivation is Brassavola nodosa, shown in the first row of photos above. It&#8217;s an easy species to grow. Native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,12,3,6,16,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dormancy","category-fragrant-orchids","category-growing","category-photos","category-warm-growers","category-watering"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31031"}],"version-history":[{"count":48,"href":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31278,"href":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31031\/revisions\/31278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aboutorchids.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}