Coelogyne Fimbriata is a very popular botanical species, with small flowers, especially variable, leading to the confusion of specialists, who initially described the varieties as different species, until modern DNA analysis techniques clarified this aspect. The Dutch researcher, Dr. Barbara Gravendeel, in her doctoral thesis, recommended that most of the species in that group, including here fimbriata, fuliginosa, ovalis, padangensis and pallens, should all be included in the species Coelogyne fimbriata.

Valid synonyms for Coelogyne Fimbriata are Broughtonia linearis Wall. ex Hook.f. 1890; Broughtonia linearis Wall. 1830; Coelogyne arunachalensis HJ Chowdhery & GDPal 1997; Coelogyne laotica Gagn. 1930; Coelogyne longiciliata Teijsm. & Binn. 1864; Coelogyne ovalis auct. non Lindley; Coelogyne padangensis JJSm. & Schltr. 1911; Coelogyne primulina Barretto 1990; Coelogyne xerophyta Hand-Mazz. 1936; Pleione chinense Krzl. 1891; Pleione fimbriata [Lindley] Kuntz 1891.

Medium-sized species, amphitolerant to the thermal factor, epiphyte or lithophile, on calcareous slopes and rocks, in narrow crevasses, in Nepal, Bhutan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Jiangxi, Sicuan, Xizang and Yunnan (China ), Hong Kong, northeastern India, Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, populate the primary, evergreen, deciduous forests of the ses zone, or the primary montane forests, at altitudes from sea level to 2300 m. In the natural environment, it has a wide distribution, this is the basis of the high variability of the species, which offers collectors multiple categories. Coelogyne Fimbriata is so easy to grow that it was one of the first orchids exported from China for British collections in 1820.

The species presents ellipsoidal pseudobulbs positioned at a distance of 3 - 4 cm from each other, with 2 apical oblong-elliptical leaves, acute, folded, with 5 veins each, which gradually narrow towards the base, forming a petiole. It blooms in the fall, on the youngest mature pseudobulbs, with mono to triflorous inflorescences, located at the apical terminal on the pseudobulbs, with thin stems, 4 - 5 cm long, erect, fractiflex. The stems bear raceme inflorescences, with a narrow basal sheath, and the long-lasting flowers have a musk scent.

Beyond the fact that it is a charismatic species due to its sudden appearance and the appearance of the flowers, Coelogyne fimbriata is also an easy species to cultivate , these aspects contributing to its high popularity, both among beginner enthusiasts and among experienced growers.

It can be grown mounted on wooden plates or bark, or in any type of pot or container with fast water drainage , preferring shady, moist locations that are not subject to the danger of freezing. It will quickly exceed the limits of the culture container, whatever it may be, but without requiring replanting, since the sudden port and the epiphytic station allow it to develop hanging rhizomes.

Coelogyne Fimbriata requires high humidity to stay healthy, as drastic drying causes the degradation of the velamen and the death of the roots. To prevent such events, it is recommended to place the pots near water trays filled with gravel or clay balls, which keep the humidity high, but do not allow the roots to come into contact with the water.

For propagation , it is recommended to divide the rhizomes, leaving enough pseudobulbs to allow the easy regeneration of the plant and its acclimatization, because until the development of new roots, the divided plants will feed on the nutrients stored in the pseudobulbs. In general, it is recommended to keep at least 4 - 5 pseudobulbs per division. The best time to divide plants is early spring, when the new growth is fully developed - spring, when most species of orchids bloom, Coelogyne fimbriata recovers from the long flowering that has just ended, entering the dormant season for a few months; during this period, many of the leaves will turn yellow and fall, which is why it is necessary to reduce watering, replacing them with sprinkling new growth.

Planting is recommended to be done in suspended baskets , so as to allow the plants and flowers to be distributed more evenly, covering the culture medium on 360°. Grown near other plants, it tends to invade their pots.

Only one variety of the species Coelogyne fimbriata is known: "Alba", pale yellow-white in color, not pure white, being probably the most well-known variety, which has many variations - but taking into account the studies of Barbara Gravendeel, it is good to be also take into account the taxa previously considered as species: C. ovalis, fuliginosa, pallens.

The known hybrids of this species are: Coelogyne Danielle de Prins (2001) - with Coelogyne speciosa as seed parent; Coelogyne Orchideengarten Magdalene (2014) - with Coelogyne usitana as pollinous parent.

It prefers strong light and is able to tolerate direct sun in the morning and evening, but in hot summer afternoons it is recommended to grow it only under filtered or diffused light. The symptoms of the fact that the plants overheat and receive too much light are noticeable in the form of yellowing and premature falling of the leaves, as well as in the form of the appearance of sunburn. Intense sunlight is a primary requirement to obtain flowering in this species, and in case of insufficient lighting, especially during the development of new growth, flowering will be completely absent, due to the underdeveloped pseudobulbs. Throughout the year, the photoperiod must be at least 10 hours, ideally 16 hours. The perfect model for maintaining this species is a combination of exhibitions - for example, initial maintenance during autumn and winter, in southern and western exhibitions, followed by moving specimens during spring and summer to eastern and south-eastern exhibitions; in the case of maintaining the specimens throughout the year at northern exhibitions, it will be categorically necessary to use artificial lights to supplement the natural amount of light radiation.

The recommended growing temperature is 20 °C during the day and 12 °C at night, during the summer, and 10 °C in the winter, both day and night.

Moisture-loving species, since in the natural environment the relative humidity rarely drops below 70%, it will require the provision of good ventilation.

The culture substrate recommended for this species is represented by wood chips or bark, or similar low-height pots/containers, with an aerated substrate that conserves humidity, such as pine bark mixed with charcoal, dry ferns, humus, sphagnum moss, up to 50%.

The Coelogyne Fimbriata orchid does not tolerate transplants well , reacting negatively by losing one or two blooms, which is why it is recommended only when absolutely necessary, for example, in the case of excessive salinization of the substrate, at the critical increase in pH (a rate of 5.5 - 6.5). The most recommended time for transplanting is in the spring.

Watering will be carried out depending on the general temperature of the environment: the higher, the more abundant, especially in the case of specimens mounted on plates, where it will be necessary to apply daily watering in the morning - to ensure the drying of the roots until the coming of evening.

For orchids in pots, remember that the excess water during watering must be able to flow easily from the container, without stagnating, because the roots of the plants can rot very easily. Relative drying of the substrate between waterings is recommended, but not completely.

Fertilizations will be administered every 1-2 weeks during the growth period, at the concentration recommended by the manufacturer, both root and foliar, by spraying the leaves with a higher dilution of the fertilizer. It is recommended to alternate fertilization methods.

The resting period for Coelogyne fimbriata is winter, when, starting from mid-November, the plants will be placed in areas with medium lighting, with northern or eastern exposure, following which watering will be reduced and fertilization stopped. The ideal temperature for this period will be approximately 10 °C, day and night. Watering will be aimed at allowing the substrate to dry completely, so that only 2 - 3 waterings will be necessary during this period. Once the new growths appear, the rest period will end, returning to the current routine. The absence of flowering can be generated by too high temperatures, insufficient light or adaptive/biological stress, caused either by bad environmental conditions, or by changes in the substrate, or by pathological conditions of the plants.

Discover the entire range of orchids from Secret Garden here (link)

Do you want to see more articles and accumulate more knowledge? This article is offered for free, but you can support secretgarden.ro with a review here:

Google: Review on Google

Facebook: Facebook review