Although an unlikely combination in some ways, there is still some justification for this hybrid. Firstly, there is always the search for a really dark lip colouring. Secondly, both these parents' flowers are produced prolifically over a number of months. Both parents are extremely tough orchids, easy to grow in a huge range of conditions (as long as frost is avoided). The flowers do have a muted attraction (obviously to snails in picture 4!). Given the huge variation in flower colour of both parents, it is a hybrid worth the speculative efforts involved.

The flowers are in between both parents in size but the more upright stance of Coelogyne Amber's flowers is more desirable than the flower on Coelogyne speciosa, which tends to be really droopy (in nature, the droopy flower is to prevent rain washing pollen around and self pollinating the flower). I have found that this hybrid flowers better and over a longer period as the plant develops more (gets older).

Negatives: Unfortunately, the rather drab colour would not appeal to the masses. The plant does not flower for nearly as long a period as Coelogyne speciosa .

Coelogyne ovalis has quite a strong flower peduncle (stem), unlike its partner's very weak, droopy nature. In the hybrid plant that I own, the weak peduncle has resulted in flowers that struggle to clear the leaf. Trapped half way out some of the flowers can have trouble opening properly. This is another trait that improves with the age of the plant.

Rating: ♦♦

Registration: It was registered in 1998 by David Banks and made by Phillip Spence.

Varieties: None known

Hybrids:

1. Coelogyne Kirribilli Charlie (Kevin Dawes, 2016) using Coelogyne mooreana "Brockhurst" as the pollen parent.

Coel Bird in Flight >