Catasetum tenebrosum × Catasetum Donna Wise

These will produce lots of dark chocolate/maroon flowers with bright green lips on long arching stems.  Some flowers may be almost black and will be very striking, with their contrasting green lips.  This is a very vigorous hybrid that will flower in early spring, summer and fall.

Photo Credit:  Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids  (SVO 5992)

Catasetum Portagee Star (Catasetum expansum x Catasetum Black Knight) interestingly this grex has the 3 same parental species as the famous Catasetum Donna Wise, pileatum, expansum, and tenebrosum. 'Brian Lawson's Sunrise' carries up to 15 flowers in shades of yellow and burgundy, and is very attractive. The denticulatum has a nice yellow lip, 25 flowers and is a small growing plant. Here we are breeding in a new direction for reduced plant size while keeping good flower color and high flower count. This direction in breeding for small growing plants has been spectacular. SVO Item 2211

Description and photo courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids

Catasetum Crownfox Voodoo is an orchid hybrid originated by R.F. Orchids in 2001. It is a cross of Catasetum Susan Fuchs x Catasetum tenebrosum.

Phoo Credi: Roland Foo

Catasetum pileatum x Catasetum Brent's Black Hawk

Catasetum Dagny (pileatum x Brent's Black Hawk) has several noteworthy qualities: exceptionally rich deep red flower color with a just a spot of bright yellow in the center of the lip, long arching inflorescences carrying 12 -15 flowers each, and plants that bloom 2-3 times a season.

Description and photo courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids - Item 2671

Catasetum sanguineum

x

Catasetum pileatum var. aureum

Catasetum De Etta Harris is an orchid hybrid originated by J. Naugle in 2006. It is a cross of Catasetum Donna Wise x Catasetum Crownfox Voodoo.

Photo Right: Catasetum De Etta Harris 'Green Goddess', courtesy Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids

Catasetum denticulatum  x  Catasetum tigrinum

Catasetum Dentigrianum is an orchid hybrid originated by Toninho in 2012. It is a cross of Catasetum denticulatum x Catasetum tigrinum. It is considered a "primary hybrid" because it is a cross between two species.

Photo courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids

Every once in a while, along comes cross so memorable that you want to re-make it as soon as possible. There's one challenge when breeding Catasetums with sexually dimorphic flowers: you need both male and female flowers to make a cross! I waited patiently for two years before female denticulatum flowers were produced, and I saved pollen from my best tigrinum for the occasion. These will be spectacular flowers on miniature plants blooming 2-3 times a season. ( - Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids) 

There is Catasetum royalty in the ancestry of this cross. Ctsm. John C. Burchett (João Stivalli x Susan Fuchs) is a spectacular hybrid! The huge, flat, nearly black lip of the cultivar 'Ursa Major' really impressed the judges when this plant received a First Class Certificate for Ryan Kowalczyk. 'Ursa Major' blooms 2-3 times a year and often produces female flowers on its first flowering of the season, making it a frequent capsule parent. Susan Fuchs has a stellar reputation as well. It is an excellent plant with large bright yellow flowers boldly spotted with burgundy and a habit of blooming multiple times a year. This is an outrageously nice pairing: huge flowers, huge lips, and bright colors on plants that bloom several times a year. A real must-have!

Photos Right: courtesy Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids

Catasetum Donna Wise is an orchid hybrid originated by E.Wise in 1995. It is a cross of Catasetum tenebrosum  x Catasetum Orchidglade.

Photo Right:  Catasetum Donna Wise 'Susan' AM/AOS, courtesy Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids

Catasetum Chuck Taylor is an excellent mini-Catasetum, with rich burgundy petals and sepals, and a contrasting yellow lip. It's just beautiful! Catasetum kleberianum is a great mini-Catasetum species, producing strikingly-colored flowers that combine dark barring on the petals and sepals with a bright yellow lips. As a bonus, it also carries 15 or more flowers per stem. These will be mini-Catasetums with bright yellow lips, and the petals and sepals will have dark bars, some of which will be solid burgundy! This is one of those 'not to be missed' mini-Catasetums. (SVO 7312)

Description and photo courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids

Catasetum José Abalo (Catasetum sanguineum x Catasetum Orchidglade) is an outstanding plant with a striking flower. Inflorescences are 24” long and held straight up, carrying 15-18 flowers in dark burgundy (almost black) with lips that are thick and hard. You really need to see this in person to fully appreciate the quality. Catasetum fimbriatum v. morrenianum is the unusual dark burgundy color form of this species.  This fimbriatum is free flowering and has produced a number of very nice offspring.  I am expecting some amazing flower colors in deep burgundy to near black, with lips that are frilled and of heavy substance.  This is a very novel hybrid with exceptional potential!   This cross is now named Catasetum Hat Trick.  

Description and photo courtesy Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids

Catasetum João Stivalli

J.Stivali 1995 - registered (RHS)

Catasetum Mary Spencer × Catasetum pileatum

Catasetum John C. Burchett is an orchid hybrid originated by Bela-Vista in 2007. It is a cross of Catasetum João Stivalli  x  Catasetum Susan Fuchs.

Photo: Catasetum John C. Burchett 'Ursa Major' FCC/AOS

(Courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids)

Catasetum Donna Wise  x  Catasetum Susan Fuchs

(2009 - SVO1770) This is quite possibly the best of ‘type’ breeding in the pileatum/expansum group. Ctsm. Donna Wise is (Ctsm. Orchidglade x Ctsm. tenebrosum) and Ctsm. Susan Fuchs is (Ctsm. Orchidglade x Ctsm. expansum) that makes for 50% expansum and 25% each pileatum and tenebrosum. These will be large deep red and spotted flowers carried 13-15 or more per stem. A very choice hybrid that will produce spectacular flowers. Nice robust plants to bloom this year.

(2011 - SVO2354)  Here is an exact remake of a cross made in 2009.  This is what I said about its potential then, “This is quite possibly the best of ‘type’ breeding in the pileatum/expansum group. These will be large deep red and spotted flowers carried 13-15 or more per stem.”  I was wrong about one thing …. 24-26 flowers were produced on several mature plants last fall!  The cross was so good I named it after my mother; that is a high honor!

Description and photo courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids - Item 2354 and 1770

Catasetum Mark Dimmitt is an orchid hybrid originated by Mark Dimmitt in 2005. It is a cross of Catasetum Donna Wise x Catasetum Orchidglade.  Catasetum Mark Dimmit has a solid deep burgundy red flower color and full Catasetum pileatum shaped lip.

Photo Right:  (Catasetum Donna Wise  x  Orchidglade), courtesy Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids 

Catasetum Mary Spencer is an orchid hybrid originated by R.W.Spencer in 1974. It is a cross of Catasetum socco x Catasetum pileatum. It is considered a "primary hybrid" because it is a cross between two species.   

(Catasetum denticulatum 'SVO' AM/AOS x Catasetum Penang 'Sweet Heart')

This grex has produced a variety of eye-catching flower colors, from solid deep burgundy to white blotched burgundy and white with fine red spotting. This is a new mini-Catasetum, with mature plants only 5” tall thanks to the influence of Catasetum denticulatum. Expect 15-20 flowers, 2-3 times per season. It's always interesting to see the effect of reciprocal breeding on the flower quality, and SVO 5995 is the reciprocal. This was SVO item 5001

Above Catasetum denticulatum 'SVO' AM/AOS

Right: Catasetum Penang 'Sweet Heart'

Catasetum Dentigrianum (denticulatum x tigrinum) 'SVO Excellence' is an amazing example of a great flower!  The plant is a strong bloomer as well, flowering multiple times a season. Chuck Taylor (denticulatum x Portagee Star) 'SVO Sunshine' has particularly attractive flowers with yellow lips and is also quite floriferous, with mature plants flowering two to three times a year. This grex will flower frequently on small-growing plants. The best of these will have yellow lips with spotted petals and sepals.

Description and photo courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids - Item 2671

The Catasetum Frilly Doris (Catasetum Doris Choice x Catasetum Donna Marie) is a proven breeder having a fantastic frilly lip, beautiful arrangement and blooms 3 times a year.  Catasetum Voodoo Dragon (Catasetum Dragon’s Teeth x Catasetum Crownfox Voodoo) has an interesting dark color with a lip that looks like it has 2 fangs and 25 flowers per stem.  Breeding for flowers with blotches of color in shades of burgundy and a frilly or fanged lip. (SVO 5065)

Description and photo courtesy of Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids

Catasetum Orchidglade

Jones & Scully 1974 - registered (RHS)

Catasetum pileatum × Catasetum expansum

Catasetum Penang is an orchid hybrid originated by Ooi Leng Sun in 1989. It is a cross of Catasetum Susan Fuchs x Catasetum pileatum.

species composition:

Catasetum pileatum (63%) + Catasetum expansum (38%)

Searching my usual sources, as of yet have not been able to find any history of awards for this particular hybrid.  This is interesting for a hybrid that has been used as a parent in 19 hybrids and counting.

Catasetum Portagee Star

F.Dishman 2002 - registered (RHS)

Catasetum pileatum × Catasetum Black Knight

Catasetum Susan Fuchs

R.F.Orchids 1982 - registered (RHS)

Catasetum expansum × Catasetum Orchidglade

Catasetum Susan Fuchs 'Sunrise' JC AOS Photo courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids

This is traditional Catasetum breeding for impressive large flowers with huge lips on arching inflorescences.  The grex Louise Clarke (Susan Fuchs x Donna Wise) is my mother's namesake. This is a particularly noteworthy cultivar that regularly blooms with as many as 7 inflorescences from one pseudobulb, thus the cultivar name 'Wonder Woman'!  Dagny (pileatum x Brent's Black Hawk) 'Fantastica' is also remarkable for its high flower count, deep burgundy flower color and yellow callus in the center of the lip.  We expect these plants to bloom several times a season with large, beautifully-colored deep burgundy flowers with very impressive lips. (Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids)

Photo right: Catasetum Louise Clarke 'Wonder Woman'

Photo Left: Catasetum Dagny 'Fantastica'

Catasetum Susan Fuchs (Orchidglade x expansum) is a well-known hybrid, and the cultivar 'Burgundy Chips,' with its large yellow flowers and bold burgundy spotting, is a proven breeder, with many successful hybrids to its credit.  Catasetum Dentigrianum (denticulatum x tigrinum) is a breakthrough in mini-Catasetum breeding. It's a primary hybrid, but what it lacks in genealogical complexity it makes up for in charm, with beautifully-formed flowers in white, uniformly spotted with burgundy, and a soft yellow lip with a dentate margin.  This cross may be one of the best of the mini-Catasetums yet produced! We are expecting excellent flower shape and beautifully spotted flowers with full lips, all on a small-growing, easy-to-bloom plant. As a bonus, these should bloom two or three times each year. ( - Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids)

Orchid bloomed and photographed by A. Walend

I believed this is an inspired cross.  The flowers of De Etta Harris (Donna Wise x Crownfox Voodoo) 'Emerald Goddess' are a surprisingly deep emerald green, a color rarely seen. Melana Davison (denticulatum x Penang) 'Snow White' is truly amazing, with nearly pure white flowers that are perfectly arranged.  Why is this an inspired cross?  The range of flower colors will be remarkable: white to green, some pinks and rose colors, and even a few red shades.  Combine this with excellent flower shape and presentation, and you have a great cross. (Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids)

Photo right: Catasetum Melana Davison 'Snow White'

Photo Left: Catasetum lucis 'Dana's Bird of Paradisel'  AM/AOS

This is an as of yet registered hybrid. SVO item 7315

The grex Fong Cing (José Abalo x Orchidglade) has been outstanding, with surprisingly large and well-shaped flowers produced 15 or more on strong upright inflorescences.  Richard Fulford (Orchidglade x lucis) is a new breeding direction, capitalizing on the attributes of the rare species Ctsm. lucis.  Ctsm. lucis is a large plant that produces 15-20 green and white flowers held high above the foliage on sturdy, three-foot upright inflorescences. The flowers produced by Richard Fulford have exceeded expectations, as evidenced by the four AM/AOS awards to date. Don’t take my word for it - take a look at ‘SVO’ with its outstanding flower color, size, and stem. This is the first cross in the next generation of lucis breeding. We want to develop large plants with straight upright inflorescences holding large brightly-colored flowers, and we believe this cross will deliver!  Enough said.

(Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids)

Photo right:  Catasetum Fong Cing 'Lonely Heart'

Photo Left:  Catasetum Richard Fulford SVO

Melana Davison (denticulatum x Penang) 'Hoorah' is particularly beautiful due to the yellow base color of the lip and red markings throughout. This Isobel's Sunshine (Portagee Star x kleberianum) has a bright yellow lip with dark bars of burgundy on the petals and sepals. Here we are aiming for large flat yellow lips with red to burgundy petals and sepals, all on a mini-Catasetum plant.  We liked the combination so much we made the cross twice! See SVO 8096. 

Melana Davison (denticulatum x Penang) ‘Hoorah’ is particularly beautiful due to the yellow base color of the lip and red markings throughout. This Isobel's Sunshine (Portagee Star x kleberianum) has a bright yellow lip with dark bars of burgundy on the petals and sepals. Here we are aiming for large flat yellow lips with red to burgundy petals and sepals, all on a mini-Catasetum plant.  We liked the combination so much we made the cross twice! See SVO 8091. Very nice first bloom plant  Picture

(Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids)

Photo right:  Catasetum Melana Davison 'Hoorah'

Photo Left:  Catasetum Isobel's Sunshine 'SVO'

Flower quality in Portagee Star is surprisingly nice, with just three species in its background: pileatum, expansum and tenebrosum.  The shape is full, the lip is flat and the color is an attractive yellow with a bit of red.  What makes Catasetum lucis remarkable is its upright 4' long inflorescence that carries many long-lived green flowers with white lips.  Earlier crosses in this style of breeding have been excellent.  We are expecting flower color to range between yellow with a red blush to pure white.  These will have high flower count, strong stems and flower longevity of 3-4 weeks, a nice trait passed on by lucis to its offspring. These will surprise you with their flower quality! (Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids)

Photo right: Catasetum Portagee Star 'Brian Lawson's Sunrise' HCC/AOS

Photo Left: Catasetum lucis 'Dana's Bird of Paradisel'  AM/AOS

This is an as of yet registered hybrid. SVO item 7315

The flower quality of Portagee Star is surprisingly nice: the shape is full, the lip is flat and the color is an attractive yellow with a bit of red. Melana Davison (Catasetum Penang x Catasetum denticulatum) has been a landmark hybrid in the breeding of reduced plant size while maintaining excellent flower size, shape, color, and count. It also has been recognized with 7 AM/AOS awards! The mostly red flowers of 'Fox Tail' have an excellent presentation; the flower count is very high. Here we have crossed the standard-sized Portagee Star onto a first generation mini-Catasetum Melana Davison. These plants will still be small growers and stay under 8” tall. I expect excellent flower form, increased bloom size and easy culture. These should produce many-flowered inflorescences 2-3 times a season. Flower color will vary from light yellow to dark red and everything in-between. (Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids)

Photo right: Catasetum Portagee Star 'Brian Lawson's Sunrise' HCC/AOS

Photo Left: Catasetum Melana Davison 'Fox Tail'

This is an as of yet registered hybrid. SVO item 7311

I am very interested in this cross, partly because Ctsm. kleberianum is so rare. This small-growing species may be extinct in the wild, with very few plants in cultivation. Ctsm. kleberianum blooms with 15-20 well-arranged flowers. The flat lip is a pure yellow, and the petals and sepals are boldly striped - an eye-catching color combination.  Ctsm. tigrinum is a showy species, its white flowers with light pink spots displayed in an impressive cascade of 20-25 blooms 2 to 3 times a season.  Both of these mini-Catasetum species have already shown themselves to be excellent parents. Making new primary hybrids is always interesting, since novel combinations of species reveal fascinating results in many cases. Based on observations of previous hybrids with kleberianum and tigrinum, I'm expecting plants to produce lots of well-spaced flowers with good form. Flower color is harder to predict, but I think that most will be cream with stripes and spots, and a light yellow lip.  This is a super cool new hybrid!. 

Description courtesy Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids

Photos courtesy of Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids

.

This type of breeding has been in the planning for many years. I have always wanted to breed Catasetums with dark burgundy segments and bright yellow lips. Finally, here it is! Catasetum tenebrosum is a showy species and the cultivar used here has the best color and shape, with dark petals and sepals and a contrasting chartreuse lip. One of the important characteristics of tenebrosum as a parent is its early blooming. This is one of the first Catasetums to flower each season, and the bloom spikes develop with the new growths, traits that are useful in developing early-to-bloom hybrids. Catasetum Double Down (Chuck Taylor x kleberianum) produced many plants that flowered with dark segments and yellow lips. The cultivar used here, 'BPYL,' stands for 'Black Petals Yellow Lip,' and the flowers have great color contrast on plants that bloom 3-4 times a year. The addition of tenebrosum with its early flowering habit and complementary flower colors should result in plants that bloom early, mid, and late season with very dark segments and bright yellow lips.

Description and photos couertsy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids

Catasetum John C. Burchett (João Stivalli x Susan Fuchs) is a spectacular hybrid! The huge, flat, nearly black lip of the cultivar 'Ursa Major' really impressed the judges, and this plant received a First Class Certificate (FCC/AOS) for Ryan Kowalczyk. 'Ursa Major' blooms 2-3 times a year, and female flowers are often produced first each season, thus this plant has been used frequently as a capsule parent. Catasetum Dagny (pileatum x Brent's Black Hawk) has several noteworthy qualities: exceptionally rich deep red flower color with a just a spot of bright yellow in the center of the lip, long arching inflorescences carrying 12 -15 flowers each, and plants that bloom 2-3 times a season.   Both parents have big-lipped Catasetums (pileatum and expansum) in their background. Look for this cross to deliver big flowers, flat lips, colors from deep red to the darkest burgundy, and 12-15 blooms per stem 2-3 times a year!!!!

(Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids)

Photo right: Catasetum John C. Burchett 'Ursa Major' FCC/AOS

Photo Left: Catasetum Dagny 'Fantastica'

The flower quality of Portagee Star is surprisingly nice: the shape is full, the lip is flat and the color is an attractive yellow with a bit of red. Melana Davison (Catasetum Penang x Catasetum denticulatum) has been a landmark hybrid in the breeding of reduced plant size while maintaining excellent flower size, shape, color, and count. It also has been recognized with 7 AM/AOS awards! The mostly red flowers of 'Fox Tail' have an excellent presentation; the flower count is very high. Here we have crossed the standard-sized Portagee Star onto a first generation mini-Catasetum Melana Davison. These plants will still be small growers and stay under 8” tall. I expect excellent flower form, increased bloom size and easy culture. These should produce many-flowered inflorescences 2-3 times a season. Flower color will vary from light yellow to dark red and everything in-between. (Description and photos courtesy of Fred Clarke, Sunset Valley Orchids)

Photo right: Catasetum Portagee Star 'Brian Lawson's Sunrise' HCC/AOS

Photo Left: Catasetum Melana Davison 'Fox Tail'

This is an as of yet registered hybrid. SVO item 7311