This week’s Orchid of the Week is… Cym. Valley Splatters ‘Velvet Spots’
Parentage: This is a cross between Cym. Splatters × Cym. Red King
Registered: 2023
The reason why it’s our Orchid of the Week:
I’m indulging myself for a bit this time with our Orchid of the Week. Bred by a local breeder in South Australia, just down the road from me and the last owner of Valley Orchids. I have registered it on his behalf as it is worthy of showing, hence it’s listing here…
Cym. Splatters was quite the plant when it was first released after being registered in 1993 with various cultivars in circulation. This grex using Cym. Splatters ‘Spotted Velvet’ as the pod parent. The pollen parent is a cross of Cym. Red Valley and Cym. Chilli King. Cym. Red Valley was the parent for a few successful Cyms, namely Cym. Red Nelly (with the other parent being the very successful Cym. Valley Regent) and Cym. Jurassic Valley.
I still have a Cym. Chilli King in my collection too!
In recent years it has been a slow grower, however a little love recently has given it a kick in the pants! It is an unusual, quite dominating coloured maroon flower so I can’t wait to see it in flower again….
Cym. Valley Splatters ‘Velvet Spots’ shows a huge influence from the pod parent Cym. Splatters ‘Spotted Velvet’ although the lip markings have evened out with more white, and I think is more interesting result. This could be the end of the line for this breeding line as I have no current plans to use it, concentrating more on the species and primary hybrid areas instead….but it is an eye catching flower in the collection!
The above image is the plant in my collection when in flower in 2023.
Looking back at the original species ancestors of this plant, using Orchid Roots, Cym. insigne and Cym lowianum are the major contributors present in the distant background.