Ern Kettle of Collectors’ Corner has kindly compiled a list of cymbidiums that he recommends for the quality of their flowers. If you are interested in growing cymbidiums for their show-bench potential, these clones will do better than most (provided that you grow them well). Most are available as seedlings or mericlones from the larger orchid nurseries
LARGE-FLOWERED (STANDARD) MEDIUM-FLOWERED
WHITE
Mount Cook ‘The Dove’
Lake McQuarie ‘Winsome’
Winter Wonder
White Valley ‘Becky’
Lovely Angel ‘Zeus’
GREEN
Valley Zenith ‘Green Orb’ and ‘ Concord’
Green Glass ‘ Kimberley’
Granny Smith ‘TP’
YELLOW
Jubilation ‘Geronimo’
Tracey Reddaway ‘Sungold’ and ‘ Sunrise’
Coraki Gold ‘ Kimberley’
Lunakira
Kelly’s Winter ‘Patricia’ & ‘Gold Sovereign’
PINK
Ruby Anniversary ‘Pink Surprise’
Rumours ‘Desiree’
Dream Valley ‘Gemini’
Kirby Leash
Julie Hawks
RED
Wallamurra ‘Jupiter’
Khan Flame
Blazing Fury
Red Adios
BROWN
Kiri Te Kanawa
Rangateira ‘Brown Eyes’ and ‘Honey Bee’
PURE COLOUR
Sleeping Nymph ‘New Generation’ and ‘Perfection’
Eastern Star ‘Kawano’
Second Renaissance ‘Jenny Wren’
Merv Dunn (various clones)
ANY OTHER COLOUR
Valley Splash ‘Painted Lady’, ‘Touch of Pink’ and ‘Awesome’
Cronulla ‘The Khan’
Leopard Lady ‘Mary Smith’
WHITE
Show Girl ‘Husky Honey’
Lerwick ‘Leanne Crickmar’
Music Box Dancer ‘Ballerina’
Sarah Jean ‘Vapour’
GREEN
Celtic Imp ‘Caprice’
Gentle Touch ‘Bon Bon’
YELLOW
One Tree Hill ‘Golden Ball’ and ‘Dolly’
Mary Pinchess ‘Del Rae’
PINK
Allison Shaw ‘Perfection’ and ‘Valentine’
Bingo ‘Pink Beauty’
RED
Ruby Valley
Rap Dancer ‘Red Delight’
Fuss ‘Fantasy’
BROWN
Arunta ‘Amber’, ‘Dreamtime’ and ‘Hazelnut’
Indian Chief
PURE COLOUR
Mini Sarah ‘Jillian’
One Tree Hill ‘ Doris’
Melanie ‘Golden Girl’
Sarah Jean ‘The Bride’
Mini Sarah ‘Starburst’
ORANGE
Willunga Royal ‘Orange Delight’
ANY OTHER COLOUR
Scott’s Sunrise ‘ Aurora’
Bulbarrow ‘Friar Tuck’ and ‘Will Stutley’
Flame Hawk ‘Lipper’
SMALL-FLOWERED
WHITE
Ice-on-Fire ‘Niketta’
Summer Cloud ‘Gowandale’ and ‘Karandra’
Mystery Elf
Little Sarah
GREEN
Sunshine Falls ‘Green Fantasy’ and ‘Butter Ball’
Mini Mint ‘Del Mae’
YELLOW
Mary Pinchess ‘Bouton d’Or’
PINK
Orkney ‘Pink Heather’
Fairy Rouge ‘ Lavender Falls’
Little Sarah ‘Lollipop’
RED
Ruby Eyes ‘Red Baron’ and ‘Tetra Baron’
Dr. Baker ‘Bewitched’
BROWN
Touchstone ‘Mahogany’
PURE COLOUR
Sarah Jean ‘Ice Cascade’, ‘Jennifer’, ‘Graeme’s Choice’ and ‘Karen’
Katydid ‘Veridian’
Some growers may not realise what is meant by a Pure Colour cymbidium. The usual definition is that the flower should contain no red pigment, either on the lip or on the other segments.
The petals and sepals of a pure colour cymbidium may be white, cream, yellow or green, the important distinction being that they contain no red pigment on their lips or elsewhere.
Some cymbidiums have flowers with faint pink or orange lip markings. To ensure that these orchids are not excluded, show schedules often now contain a ‘Pure Colour-Type’ class, rather than a ‘Pure Colour’ class.
