Stanhopea wardii

Stanhopea wardii is a great introduction to the weirder side of the orchid family. If you've mastered Phalaenopsis culture and want to try something you won't find at your local home improvement store these are the plants for you. Flowers are short-lived but they make up for it by being huge and intoxicatingly fragrant. 

Stanhopea and their relatives bloom from pendulous spikes at the base of the plant, so they need to be grown in baskets once they mature to give the spike an opening to travel through and develop. Keep them warm, grow them in bright shade with constant moisture and plenty of fertilizer. 

These seedlings on 3" pots are ready to move into baskets when they are next repotted and should bloom in 2-3 years.