Cattleya nobilior is found from Brazil to Bolivia at 500 to 700 meters (1.650 to 2,300 feet) in bright, airy positions on tree trunks or horizontal limbs of rough-barked trees, which grow at the very edge of the cliffs above the river valley. Water vapor from the river is carried aloft, thereby keeping humidity higher in the microclimate where Cattleya nobilior grows and providing some moisture, even during the long dry season. Blossoms are almost 5 in. (12 cm) across, the largest bifoliate Cattleya. Flowers open very flat with the segments fully expanded. They are very long-lasting with a faint but pleasant fragrance. Blooms in late winter or early spring. In cultivation, water should be reduced gradually in the autumn after new growths mature. Water once every 3-4 weeks with an occasional, early morning misting. Photographer: Ron Parsons (www.flickr.com/photos/rpflowershots Grower: Judy Carney Info: Charles Baker culture sheet www.orchidculture.com

Cattleya intermedia is found in Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Plants are most often found in forests within a few miles of the coast and on nearby offshore islands in coastal or streamside swamps near sea level, but they are sometimes found at 300 meters (1,000 feet). Although sometimes described as fragrant, flowers usually have little discernible odor. This species is so variable that there are many named varieties, with even more horticultural varieties that are formally described. Plants bloom in spring, and a second flowering occasionally occurs in the autumn. Water and fertilizer should be decreased in winter with winter light as high as possible, short of burning the leaves. Plants are usually grown in pots or baskets filled with a very coarse, open fast fast-draining medium. Place in undersized pots that have room for only one to two years’ growth, so the medium does not stay wet for too long. Photographer: Ron Parsons (www.flickr.com/photos/rpflowershots Grower: Susan Anderson Info: Charles Baker culture sheet www.orchidculture.com