What's Blooming in NYC: SEPTEMBER
Bulbophyllums LOVE hot humid weather, and many will spike & grow through the cooler weather of fall.
Deciduous Calanthes (such as C. vestida) should also be spiking as their foliage now withers and falls.
Many Catasetums, Clowesias and Cycnoches are blooming for the first time now, or, if your plant is older and well-established, perhaps for the second or third time!
Fall-blooming unifoliate Cattleya hybrids are starting to make their shows. Related Catt Alliance plants budding now: Brassavola cucullata, B. nodosa and hybrids; Broughtonia sanguinea; Encyclia ciliare, Epidendrum difforme; Laelia anceps, L. pumila, L. rubescens.
Early-season miniature and standard cymbidiums may be spiking. Keep giving them lots of water and fertilizer.
Late summer Dendrobiums in bloom include common Dend. phalaenopsis hybrids, and New Guinea Latouria section hybrids like Dend. Roy Takanaga and Den. Microchip.
Most Pleurothallids will enjoy cooler weather: Masdevallia floribunda, M. infracta, M. herradurae and others spike & bloom in autumn. Everbloomers like Specklinia grobyii may put on new flushes of growth and flowers.
Phalaenopsis equestris, Phal. lindenii, Phal. violacea and many multifloral hybrids are still going from summertime spikes. Don’t cut their spikes until they actually yellow! Some can keep sending out buds for over a year!
Vandas and Ascocendas may make new spikes for fall. Keep plants warm in high humidity, with plenty of water.
Fall-flowering deciduous terrestrial orchids are doing their thing. Popular species Habenaria medusa and H. rhodochila may not finish blooming until late this month. Foliage of deciduous terrestrials will brown and die as the spike ages. Cut off the withered leaves, but water sparingly as long as buds form and open.
OCTOBER
Angraecoids are beginning to spike for fall/winter bloom: Aerangis biloba, A. luteo-alba var. rhodosticta, Angraecum species and hybrids such as Angraecum diderii, Ang. leonis, Ang. magdalene, Ang. sesquipedale, Ang. Veitchii. Provide lots of water to keep the buds alive. Many of these will be in bloom by December.
Fall/winter blooming Cattleya and Cattleya-alliance plants include: Cattleya bowringiana, C. labiata and their hybrids; reds and dark reds, such as SLC Brandywine, Potinara Carrousel; SLC Hazel Boyd, C. Enid, BLC Ports of Paradise; Brassavola nodosa, B. cordata, B. perinni, B. tuberculate; Rhyncholaelia digbyana, R. glauca; Laelia anceps, L. pumila, L. dayana, L. rubescens, L. blumenscheidii; Sophronitis coccinea, S. cernua.
Evergreen Dendrobium phalaenopsis hybrids are ripening canes and sending out spikes on older canes.
Oncidiums are in flower, some for the second time this year: Onc. varicosum and hybrids; big mule-ear Trichocentrum hybrids such as T. Maui Gold, T. Florida Gold. Tolumnia hybrids may be blooming on new spikes and on branches of old spikes.
Paphiopedilum species in season include: Paph. fairieanum, Paph. hirsutissimum, Paph. spicerianum, Paph. sukhakulii, Paph. venustum, Paph. villosum. Sequential flowering species and hybrids such as Paph. chamberlinianum are continuing to bloom.
Star-flowered Phalaenopsis are still blooming from summer, with a few new buds, including Phal. bellina, Phal. violacea and Phal. amobinensis, and their many hybrids.
Oncidium Alliance plants that bloom in fall include: Rhynchostele bictoniense; Oncidium sotoanum (ornithorhyncum), Onc. cheirophorum; Trichocentrum pumilum. Oncidium Twinkle is probably blooming on its second new growths of the year.
Zygopetalum species and hybrids, including Zygonerias.
NOVEMBER
This is the big season for Aerangis, Aeranthes and Angraecum species to spike, including Angraecum leonis, Ang. Magdalene, and the famous Ang. sesquipedale. Also Aerangis biloba, A. mystacidii, Aerangis hybrids and Aeranthes species.
Many Cattleya species and hybrids are still budding or flowering: Brassavola nodosa and many of its hybrids such as BL Richard Mueller; Cattleya intermedia; Laelia anceps; Laelia pumila; Sophronitis coccinea, S. cernua.
Clowesia and Clowesetum hybrids (Clw. Rebecca Northern and many new Fred Clarke hybrids) are spiking and budding, while also dropping their leaves. Keep watering them to prevent bud drop.
Early-season miniature and standard cymbidiums are be spiking and may even be budding. Keep them cool to prevent bud blast.
Masdevallia and Pleurothallid species & hybrids of all kinds, including Masdevallia tovarensis, M. floribunda.
Oncidium Alliance plants that bloom in fall include: Oncidium longipes, O. microchilum, O. varicosum and hybrids; mule-ear Ondicium hybrids such as O. Maui Gold, O. Florida Gold may be having their second flush of annual bloom.
Many Paphiopedilum and Phragmipedium species and many hybrids are budding, including the big complex hybrid Paphs.
Star-shaped Phalaenopsis hybrids and Miniature Multifloral Phals continue to make new buds at the ends of their spikes.
Stenoglottis longifolium is one of the few fall-flowering terrestrials. Habenarias that bloomed late in the summer will be completely dormant soon.