Cattleya nobilior

Name: Cattleya nobilior

Size:  Medium 

Placement:  Cattleya nobilior needs bright light.

Flowers: The flowers are of a rose lavender shade and up to 4 inches (10 cm) in size. There is also a blue and a white form available. The blooming period is winter and spring. The fragrance is sweet. The lip is very distinct and decorated with yellow diamond-shaped markings. A Cattleya nobilior flowerspike will produce 1 to 3 flower. Unlike most other Cattleya orchids, the flowerspike of the Cattleya nobilior develops from the base of the pseudobulb, not from a sheath on the top of the pseudobulb.

Watering: Cattleya nobilior hails from a part of the world where it is subjected to distinct rainy and dry seasons that effect both rainfall and general air humidity. This must be taken into consideration when it comes to watering. Give your Cattleya nobilior a dry resting period each year. In the wild, the Cattleya nobilior would survive on nightly dew only during this period.

Soil: Cattleya nobilior has earned a reputation for being difficult to keep, but this is mostly due to the fact that people insist on planting it in orchid mix. Mount your Cattleya nobilior instead and it will be much easier to care for.

General: Cattleya nobilior is native to Brazil where it grows on the trees, especially along rivers and on cliffs near the coast. This orchid prefers intermediate to warm conditions, but can tolerate temperatures down to 50 degrees F (10 degrees C).