The Success of Perr. Bangkok Sunset
Perreiraara Bangkok Sunset is a colorful vandaceous hybrid which succeeds nearly everywhere. Its success in southern shade houses, northern greenhouses and window sills, and under lights is attributable to its favorable plant architecture. The compact growth habit with broad, thick set leaves is an inheritance of the positive vegetative characteristics of its three ancestral species: Aerides houlletiana, Rhychostylis coelestis, and Vanda flabellata. Rhy. coelestis which ranges in color from blue to pink to white, is a relatively low light, compact plant with thick set leaves. Rhychostylis coelestis seedlings will bloom for the first time on plants which are 2” tall and 4” across. Crossed to V. flabellata, Rhy. coelestis yields Vandachostylis Thai Noi, a compact, free flowering, hybrid with a large colorful lip. Vanda flabellata contributes more than its lip color to this vigorous hybrid. The broad extremely flat leaves of this miniature Vanda, are exceptionally efficient light gatherers and confer this quality to its progeny making them well suited for lower light environments.
When Van. Thai Noi was crossed to Aer. houlletiana whose tolerance of low light is evident in its soft foliage, the versatile hybrid Perr. Bangkok Sunset was created. The broad flat leaves of Aer. houlletiana are spaced fairly far apart but this disadvantage was overcome by the compact vegetative habits of the other two species which also contributed their desirable upright spiking habit. Aerides houlletiana’s golden yellow color shines through this delightful miniature hybrid.
Not surprisingly, with such an array of low light miniatures in its background, Perr. Bangkok Sunset is itself parenting offspring that are blooming on plants with barely 2” of stem as we discovered in Thailand with the hybrid between it and V. Wilas.
Even crossed to the exceptional tall Renanthera storiei, Perr. Bangkok Sunset has yielded a compact free flowering brilliantly colored hybrid. The Thais are to be commended for their work with this hybrid. We at Motes Orchids are also committed to utilizing this versatile hybrid in new ways.
Choosing the right parents, and careful analysis of the breeding histories of various species is the key to creating compact low light hybrids, a major goal at Motes Orchids. The three species that makeup Perr. Bangkok Sunset are important elements in implementing this goal. They and several other diminutive species appear frequently in our hybrids, as we create delightful miniatures that can be enjoyed by all growers nearly everywhere.