Talking the talk. Laelia purpurata is a species orchid. ie an orchid that grows/grew in the wild. There are varieties of this orchid other than the type form, one example being Laelia purpurata variety carnea where the colour in the lip (labellum) is pink.

There are superior forms of Laelia pururata around as a result of line breeding with plants that have "superior" shape or colour in the flowers.

If Laelia purpurata is crossed with another orchid in the Laeliinae sub-tribe you will have a Hybrid.

As for whether Laelia purpurata is a good candidate for windowsill culture i'm leaving that to the locals.

I don't know if you can bloom a purpurata in a sunny window in CT or not but it would be worth a try. It is a gorgeous species and my favorite out of all of the cattleya family.

Sorry to report it will only bloom once a year, late spring. They produce growths right after flowering, produce their sheath and then hold them for months.

Here are a couple of mine showing the variation within the family. This is purpurata v. Werkhauseri {{gwi:151013}} This is the purpurata v. flamea {{gwi:151015}} This is purpurata v. aleata {{gwi:151017}}

Good luck I hope you can grow it.

Brooke

{{gwi:151019}}Laelia purpurata is what jumped into my head when I saw the picture. There are different color forms as has been pointed out. Grow yours in good health.

I have a couple of them but this is my favorite. Not because it is "superior" but because I loved the plant and flowers when I saw it. There was no deciding if I had a place for it or it it was a good idea to buy because of the price or did I really need another large orchid plant in my crowded greenhouse.

No, I just pulled out the wallet an brought it home.

I know Laelia pumila is a do-able on CT windowsills. I'm in western PA and it blooms very nicely. I've never bothered with the Laelia purpurata gang - they are lovely but I just don't have the space. Remember, your not just fitting a plant and pot on your windowsill, but future blooms - and some blooms can take up quite a bit of space!

Also remember that the hybridizers have some great mini/small space Catts out there that really perform great - and you can get more on a windowsill (even more with the addition of a small shelf too!).

Try Hausermann's and/or Carter and Holmes for something to fit on your windows and give you the flowers you want. Places such as these make their living from repeat customers so making you happy is good business for them (who can stop at a few??).

If you buy a plant that is not in bloom, make sure you read the label. If you are indeed looking for the species, L. purpurata, they are quite common on the market. There a a number of color forms: tipo (typical lavender), semi-alba (white with dark purple lip), carnea (pink forms), werkhauserii (violet blue lip forms), sanguinea (dark, reddish color overall) and striata (a striped form) and caerulea (blue-like) forms. Now, what you have pictured seems more like a hybrid: like Lc. Canhanamiana: a classic and very early hybrid. As with all cattleya type orchids (and now purpurata falls into the cattleya family) all need moderately high light requirements to bloom. They don't tolerate heavy shade. If you do grow them in the home, have the plant in a South facing window. And in the summer, take it outside in a shade house, or under the shade of a tree that doesn't produce dense shade: a locust tree has fne leaves. Direct sunlight can burn the leaves. But too much shade will give you limp and small new growths. Again, ideally, a shade or lath house is best.

Thank you all for your help and advise. I really appreciate your taking the time to give me hand. I'll just keep looking around till I find the perfect one. Thanks again.

If you like purpurata, take a look at Laelia tenebrosa. I believe it used to be classified as L. purpurata. Its like purpurata, but bronze instead of white.

Thank you so much toyo for your response. I think you are right about this one being a Lc. Canhanamiana. That clue really helped narrow my searches! But I can't find much specific information about them. Do you know how tall of a plant I could expect this to become?
Thanks also for the growing tips. I hadn't thought about taking them outside for the summer.

Brooke, I like your flamea pic!

--Stitz--