Someone told me that if you remove a keiki from a Neo and pot it up, expect it to take a very, very long time before it might even think about blooming regardless of how large it is. Has anyone tried this and had one bloom in a reasonable amount of time (like within a decade - ha!)

I did notice that my plant (yes, a keiki) did take a long time to settle in and really start growing. This summer, it seemed to take off and is finally producing some side shoots of its own. Might that be a good sign?

Kev

Kev, it certainly sounds very promising. I hope it flowers for you soon.

Hey Kev,

I just found this post. My suggestion is to allow the plant to form as many new growths as possible and don't split them up. These are natural clumpers and do best if left alone. Yes, single fans will produce flowers, but not as well as a clump of them will. Here in Japan growers allow their plants to become huge clumps, and fans are removed only for propagation purposes.

Tom Velardi

Thanks Tom

I don't have any plans on splitting this plant. The new growths are small yet. I was just wondering if the rumor was true that these will take a long time to bloom from a keiki? Even if it does, it's still a beautiful plant. Sometimes I think I'm more into foliage and roots than flowers. Sick - I know.

Kevin

Kevin,

While the flowers are enjoyed by growers here, the foliage is a significant part of the displays as well. Here’s two different forms of the species with variegated leaves. These are specimen plants and would fetch hundreds of dollars if sold. I saw them at a show:

‘tenkefukurin’

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/tvelardi/tenkefukurin.jpg

‘gojyofukurin’

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/tvelardi/gojyofukurin.jpg

In this plant the leaves are deduced in size and are fatter, and is an example of a “bean-leaf” variety. Notice the smaller flowers as well with shortened flower parts:

‘tamakongou’

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/tvelardi/tamakongou.jpg

Some also have lovely purple or even yellow flowers (possible ascocentrum blood in there!). This purple flowered form was found in the wild on the island of Shikoku:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/tvelardi/purpleshikoku.jpg

Of course there are many more varieties, but I think you get the idea! They are grown for their leaves (variegated, golden, bean-leaf, pine needle leaf), their flowers (large, small, purple, pink, yellow, and white), and even the color of the growing root tips (can be intensely purple). So I wouldn’t accuse you of being “sick” for liking the plant alone. Japanese growers have been sick with this sickness for many years!

Tom Velardi

The Japanese are expert growers when it comes to Neos.
Lovely photos, Tom. I had not seen the bean leaf variety before, very interesting.
The one I had (which Jon in SW Ohio now has) had very purple root tips. :)

Tom, I like the variegated forms!
Thanks for sharing.
Mang

:jawdrop: WOW I think I need to grow some of these. My boss just bought a few really nice neo, one of them is a small bean type it is tiny and cost him $200 bones.

To see different types of these lovely little plants check out the photos at http://newworldorchids.com/pages/neofinetia.htm
Just click on the hyperlinks - spectacular!

Beautiful!

I've got the page open in one of my tabs and am trying to figure out which ones I will order.

Super photos!

thanks for the info!

Tadd I have bean-leaf type and it didn't cost me anywhere near that amount in price. Wondre where he purchased it from.

The cost of any particular variety can vary greatly. I've seen one common variegated leaf form go for a mere $20 for a couple fans while another goes for over $100 for the same size plant. The bean leaf variety I've shown here, 'tamakongou', is a vigorous grower, clumping very quickly. A plant of the size shown could potentially be bought for just a couple hundred dollars while the the varigated ones pictured would fetch into the thousands for such big clumps (if someone would part with one). The plants sold in the states can fetch much higher prices if they have to be imported, maybe 2 or 3 times what I would pay here. :?

:shock: those are beautiful plants, but that price is a killer for me

Here’s a few forms I got a couple years ago just after I bought them. They can illustrate prices in Japan pretty well. Starting from the top left and going clockwise:

‘gojyofukurin’ $30
regualr wild type $8
‘kinroukaku’ $30
‘tamakongou’ $30

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/tvelardi/WatashinoFuukiran.jpg

You can check with vendors in the states to compare prices there. This spring I bought the violet flowered form ‘benisuzume’ for $50, but it had five fans at the time and currently has many more growths coming. A comparable plant would cost you over a hundred dollars in the states. I also bought a single fan of ‘tamakongou’ a couple years back for $15. It now has five fans developing. You just gotta be a little patient, or shell out the bucks...

Tom Velardi

Wow nic elooking plants. I really dig these. Alright so when I get my greenhouse it will be paphs, coelogynes, stanhopeas and Neos.... That's it...

I purchased a couple of neofinetia falcata seedlings from Seagrove Ochids (seagroveorchids.com),-they are lovely plants & I look forward to seeing them grow!-I also purchased a Sederia Japonica from Linda at Seagrove (as well as quite a few more catts), all lovely plants (I visited them at the NCOS show, got a dend. amethystoglossum & a Bc. Makai)...Linda/Thistle

Great looking plants Tom :clap:
I prefer to buy my neos from New World Orchids because they already come potted up Japanese style.

Hi Tom! Nice plants you've got there. Thanks for sharing.
The first photo there has a fan developing that doesn't look variegated!?
Thing is I have a couple of variegated coelogynes & have noticed that there are times when the plant gives leaves that are not variegated!
Does this occur in Neos too?
What causes this?
Curious Mang

Hi Mang! No, it is variegated, it just looks like it isn't. The very young growths can start out greener, but they become more variegated with age. I've found variegation in Neos to be pretty consistent, yet there is variability of course from one leaf to another.

Some plants can be not reliable for variegation, for example the palm Rhaphis excelsa. Each new offshoot can be variable about it variegation to the point that some do not produce much at all. One thing's certain, before coming to Japan my interest in variegated plants was minimal. Now I'm building a collection of them! :Party:

Alright so when I get my greenhouse it will be paphs, coelogynes, stanhopeas and Neos.... That's it...

sure...

Hi Mang! No, it is variegated, it just looks like it isn't. The very young growths can start out greener, but they become more variegated with age. I've found variegation in Neos to be pretty consistent, yet there is variability of course from one leaf to another.

Some plants can be not reliable for variegation, for example the palm Rhaphis excelsa. Each new offshoot can be variable about it variegation to the point that some do not produce much at all. One thing's certain, before coming to Japan my interest in variegated plants was minimal. Now I'm building a collection of them! :Party:

Thanks a lot Tom!

Mang

Tom, have you come across any neos with variegated leaves and colored flowers?

Tom, have you come across any neos with variegated leaves and colored flowers?

Marcus, no I am not aware of any like that. :confused: This species has mostly white flowers in nature, but some forms can be pinkish to violet in color as well. None of these forms have variegated leaves. Also, yellow flowered plants very well could have Ascocentrum in their heritage, and some others could have Aerides as well. :Shh: Of course here they are all considered Fuukirin, that is, fancy forms of N. falcata.

Tom, have you come across any neos with variegated leaves and colored flowers?

Marcus, no I am not aware of any like that. :confused: This species has mostly white flowers in nature, but some forms can be pinkish to violet in color as well. None of these forms have variegated leaves. Also, yellow flowered plants very well could have Ascocentrum in their heritage, and some others could have Aerides as well. :Shh: Of course here they are all considered Fuukirin, that is, fancy forms of N. falcata.

Thanks, Tom. Just wishful thinking I guess :D
Do you know if leaf variegation is a trait that is passed on in breeding?

I'm not sure about variegation being conferred to offspring. While chimeral plants do exist in the wild, they are commonly not stable to my knowledge which makes me think that reversion to normal leaf color is probable. Honestly I can't answer the question specifically for neos. No doubt most are induced mutations.