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CYMBIDIUM HYBRIDS FOR THE SHOW BENCH by Ern Kettle

Ern Kettle of Collectors’ Corner has kindly compiled a list of cymbidiums that he recommends for the quality of their flowers. If you are interested in growing cymbidiums for their show-bench potential, these clones will do better than most (provided that you grow them well). Most are available as seedlings or mericlones from the larger orchid nurseries

 

LARGE-FLOWERED (STANDARD)

MEDIUM-FLOWERED

WHITE Mount Cook ‘The Dove’ Lake McQuarie ‘Winsome’ Winter Wonder White Valley ‘Becky’ Lovely Angel ‘Zeus’ GREEN Valley Zenith ‘Green Orb’ and ‘ Concord’ Green Glass ‘ Kimberley’ Granny Smith ‘TP’ YELLOW Jubilation ‘Geronimo’ Tracey Reddaway ‘Sungold’ and ‘ Sunrise’ Coraki Gold ‘ Kimberley’ Lunakira Kelly’s Winter ‘Patricia’ & ‘Gold Sovereign’ PINK Ruby Anniversary ‘Pink Surprise’ Rumours ‘Desiree’ Dream Valley ‘Gemini’ Kirby Leash Julie Hawks RED Wallamurra ‘Jupiter’ Khan Flame Blazing Fury Red Adios BROWN Kiri Te Kanawa Rangateira ‘Brown Eyes’ and ‘Honey Bee’ PURE COLOUR Sleeping Nymph ‘New Generation’ and ‘Perfection’ Eastern Star ‘Kawano’ Second Renaissance ‘Jenny Wren’ Merv Dunn (various clones) ANY OTHER COLOUR Valley Splash ‘Painted Lady’, ‘Touch of Pink’ and ‘Awesome’ Cronulla ‘The Khan’ Leopard Lady ‘Mary Smith’

WHITE Show Girl ‘Husky Honey’ Lerwick ‘Leanne Crickmar’ Music Box Dancer ‘Ballerina’ Sarah Jean ‘Vapour’ GREEN Celtic Imp ‘Caprice’ Gentle Touch ‘Bon Bon’ YELLOW One Tree Hill ‘Golden Ball’ and ‘Dolly’ Mary Pinchess ‘Del Rae’ PINK Allison Shaw ‘Perfection’ and 'Valentine’ Bingo ‘Pink Beauty’ RED Ruby Valley Rap Dancer ‘Red Delight’ Fuss ‘Fantasy’ BROWN Arunta ‘Amber’, ‘Dreamtime’ and 'Hazelnut’ Indian Chief PURE COLOUR Mini Sarah ‘Jillian’ One Tree Hill ‘ Doris’ Melanie ‘Golden Girl’ Sarah Jean ‘The Bride’ Mini Sarah ‘Starburst’ ORANGE Willunga Royal ‘Orange Delight’ ANY OTHER COLOUR Scott’s Sunrise ‘ Aurora’ Bulbarrow ‘Friar Tuck’ and ‘Will Stutley’ Flame Hawk ‘Lipper’ SMALL-FLOWERED WHITE Ice-on-Fire ‘Niketta’ Summer Cloud ‘Gowandale’ and 'Karandra’ Mystery Elf Little Sarah GREEN Sunshine Falls ‘Green Fantasy’ and 'Butter Ball’ Mini Mint ‘Del Mae’ YELLOW Mary Pinchess ‘Bouton d’Or’ PINK Orkney ‘Pink Heather’ Fairy Rouge ‘ Lavender Falls’ Little Sarah ‘Lollipop’ RED Ruby Eyes ‘Red Baron’ and ‘Tetra Baron’ Dr. Baker ‘Bewitched’ BROWN Touchstone ‘Mahogany’ PURE COLOUR Sarah Jean ‘Ice Cascade’, ‘Jennifer’, 'Graeme’s Choice’ and ‘Karen’ Katydid ‘Veridian’

Some growers may not realise what is meant by a Pure Colour cymbidium. The usual definition is that the flower should contain no red pigment, either on the lip or on the other segments.

The petals and sepals of a pure colour cymbidium may be white, cream, yellow or green, the important distinction being that they contain no red pigment on their lips or elsewhere.

Some cymbidiums have flowers with faint pink or orange lip markings. To ensure that these orchids are not excluded, show schedules often now contain a ‘Pure Colour-Type’ class, rather than a ‘Pure Colour’ class.