Cultural Notes for Cattleya Alliance
Cattleyas have earned the reputation as the “Queen of Flowers” and are known to the public as the ultimate in floral corsages. Corsages are today sadly out of date, but the plants are cultivated for the showy and longlasting blooms. More than 50 species of the flamboyant, intricately designed flowers are found growing wild in the foothills and mountains of Central and South America. While some species are offered by growers, the most popular plants are manmade hybrids derived from the hybridising of Cattleyas with some of their close relatives to produce a range of colour, size and form.