Angraecum Longiscott

     The Angraecum that started this entire process in the early part of 2000.  This is the orchid that would become the subject of a piece of artwork becoming one of my most popular works and eventually lead me into my present Angraecum addiction.  A genera of plants that have some of the most beautiful flowers that the orchid world has to offer.  As I mentioned in my first post, it was the orchid I purchased in a plastic bag from a Home Depot store.

Angrcm. Longiscott (3rd bloom season)

     With the realization that Angcm. Longiscott was a hybrid; only fueled my quest for the knowledge of what its’ parents really looked like.  Over a period of time, those images would change due to the fact I couldn’t see how one parents attributes could overrun the other parent to the extent it did.  My question is this: how could an Angcm. eburneum crossed with Angrcm. scottianum produce an offspring with a spur (nectary) longer than either one of its parents?  According to the tag, this was the lineage.  I didn’t believe the tag.  Upon further research I found this lineage: Angrcm. eburneum ssp. superbum crossed with Angrcm. scottianum.  Looking at images of the parents still had me questioning the lineage.  And my final answer is: Angrcm. eburneum ssp. superbum var. longicalcar crossed with Angcm. scottianum produces the offspring Angrcm. Longiscott (Longi-scott).  My point is this; with the use of subspecies and variations, it was only a matter of time before the actual species’ names were shortened.  One last note to this issue; Angrcm. longicalcar is now the official classification of Angrcm. eburneum ssp. superbum var. longicalcar.  The addiction is now in full swing!
     I have found Angrcm. Longiscott to be one of the easiest orchids to grow.  It is certainly one of the most beautiful plants in my collection.  Its’ flowers can last 8 – 12 weeks if the plant is kept out of the elements while in bloom.  It is fast growing and can become a thick specimen in just two to three years if given the right amount of water, fertilizer and fungicide.

  Angrcm. Longiscott

     The plant will grow well mounted and even better in a basket or a terracotta pot with good drainage holes (up to twice as fast), Place them in a basket or pot of at least 6 inches.  Being in a media gives the plant access to moisture and nutrients longer which gives the plant more of what it needs to flourish.  As you can see in the photographs above, the potted plant is almost twice the size of the mounted plant.  They were identical seedlings at the time they were mounted and potted.  Angrcm. Longiscott grows year round, there is no dormant season.
      I water the potted and basket plants no less than twice a week in the warmer months (May through early October) while the plants that are mounted are watered daily.  Try to keep water from gathering at the base of the leaves against the stem.  It will cause stem rot if too much water sits there for a long period of time.  Watering is cut back to once a week in cooler months for the plants in pots and baskets and 2 – 4 times a week for the mounted plants.  The media that is used for plants either in a pot or a basket is a medium to coarse mixture of coconut husk, charcoal, perlite or aliflor and some tree fir.  You can add a bit of moss to hold the moisture a bit longer.  The plants that are mounted do have some moss wrapped around the base of the plant and the root system.
     Fertilize the plants once a week; even during the cooler months.  Angrcm. Longiscott is growing twelve months a year.  To give the plants a little boost, I place about a tablespoon of dynamite in the pots or baskets.  I use a systemic fungicide every 4 – 6 weeks and keep a quart bottle of a topical fungicide on hand in case of spot problems.
     Mature plants will have stems 8 – 12 inches high.  With the leaves growing up and arching gives the plant an overall height of 16 – 20 inches.  It puts out numerous keikis and branches as its maturity develops.  Becoming a beautiful specimen in just a couple of years.  Inflorescences are born from the leaf axils, grow to 7 – 12 inches and will contain 2 – 12 flowers.  The flowers twist just before they open so that the lip actually becomes a hood and so that the spur will hang down.  Flowers are about 2 ½ inches wide by 2 inches high lasting 8 – 12 weeks.  The spur is anywhere from 7 – 9 inches long.

 Angrcm. Longiscott (1st bloom season)

     Give Angrcm. Longiscott what it needs and it will give you years of beautiful flowers.  One last thing… this another one that you don’t want to mess with the roots.