One of the most recognizable orchids, the cattleya, is considered the “queen” of orchids and its flower is what most people visualize when they think of orchids.  Used by the flower trade for decades as cut flowers and for corsages, today it is easy to find different varieties and hybrids of the cattleya growing in pots that you can enjoy in your home. Native to the tropical regions of South America, Costa Rica and Panama, the cattleya is an epiphyte, which means it grows on other plants, but is not parasitic and only uses the plant as support.  In their natural habitat, the cattleya grows on tree trunks and branches high up in the jungle canopy with bromeliads and Tillandsias.  In this aerial garden they get their nutrients from decaying plant material and their pseudobulbs and fleshly leaves store food and water.  They usually bloom in the dry season when there is little or no rain and during this time the morning dew and humidity in the air is its only source of water. I’ve had my cattleya orchids for eight years and I purchased and board them at Cal Pacific Orchids in Encinitas, so I cannot take credit for them blooming. Cal Pacific cares for all my orchids and calls me to pick them up when they are ready to bloom.  Their greenhouses are perfectly suited for growing all different types of orchids and my growing collection has been boarded there for over 10 years.  My cattleyas stay in bloom for about three weeks and when they are in bloom I do not water them and display them inside where they receive moderate light. When an orchid is in bloom, it does not have the same requirements it needs to bloom.  If you want to try growing them at home, cattleyas are considered, “easy to grow.”  They require a good amount of light to bloom, but not direct sunlight that could burn their leaves.  Good air circulation is a must and let the plant dry out in between watering and NEVER let it sit in water.  The perfect temperature to grow cattleyas is from 85 to 75 degrees during the day and down to the 50s at night.  Fertilize them with a urea-free (10-10-10) orchid food as directed, but dilute the amount by about a quarter. Never feed the plant when it is in bloom.  A yellowish tinge to the leaves is what you need for the plant to produce an abundance of flowers and if it is overfed, or if it is not receiving enough light, the leaves will be dark green and the plant will not flower.  Most cattleya orchids bloom once a year, but some can bloom twice.  Early fall through Christmas is when mine bloom and they are usually in bloom for Thanksgiving, but the heat we had the past two summers has made them bloom earlier than usual, so as I write this the flowers have just finished blooming.  Showy cattleya flowers come in a variety of sizes and a wide spectrum of colors that range from red, pink, purple, orange yellow, white and can also be multi-colored and spotted.  In fact, the only color they do not come in is true blue.  Some even have a lovely scent and the flowers of my deep pink cattleya had been filling my home with its heavenly scent and it is just another one of the scents I associate with autumn. If you want more information on purchasing and boarding orchids, call Cal Pacific Orchids at: 760-436-0317.