Coelogyne Unchained Melody would be a top priority for the first Coelogyne that everyone should buy. It is so easy, hardy, regular, easily obtainable and so refreshingly beautiful. It flowers for at least a month and is quite happy to be brought inside to a prestigious position to perfume and decorate your favourite living space while flowering.

In 1913 at the Canberra and NSW South and West Regional Show and Conference, my plant was voted the people's choice most popular orchid of the show. (It was also awarded 1st in its section). They certainly have that mass appeal, and this is why, combined with their toughness, they warrant a place in every collection.

It is a hybrid that has occurred in nature but David Banks (an Australian grower) also produced it under horticultural cultivation and registered it. Both famous and beautiful parents have contributed substantially to this stunning off-spring. The flowers are a bit smaller than Coelogyne cristata and perhaps not that much larger than Coelogyne flaccida but they have that pristine white dominance and the gold/yellow even more generous. Surprisingly, the flower spikes aren't as pendulous as the parents.

Negatives: Biased maybe, but I can't think of any negatives.

Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦ This is an absolute must own orchid.

Varieties: Coelogyne Unchained Melody 'Mossiae' - it has a very pale lemon lip colour instead of the rich yellow/gold and is also extremely beautiful. It has been incorrectly sold for many years as Coelogyne mossiae.

Hybrids: Registered: 

1. Coelogyne Louanne Banks (David Banks 2015) using Coelogyne cristata as the pollen parent.

2. Coelogyne Rebekah Banks (David Banks 2015) using Coelogyne flaccida as the pollen parent.

3. Coelogyne Jennifer O'Brien (Kevin Dawes 2017) using Coelogyne mooreana 'Brockhurst' as the pod parent.

> End of Hybrid Section <