Orchid Wise

Orchid of the Week

This week’s Orchid of the Week is… Cym. That’s Outrageous

Orchid of the Week - Cym. That's Outrageous 'Susan'
Orchid of the Week – Cym. That’s Outrageous ‘Susan’

Parentage: This week’s Orchid of the Week is a cross between Cym. Ken Siew x Cym. Death Wish

Registered: 2016

The reason why it’s our Orchid of the Week:

This week’s Orchid Wise Orchid of the Week is the next generation of breeding from the Cym. Death Wish line bred by Kevin Hipkins of Royale Orchids in Australia. Kevin caused a little consternation in the community when Cym. Death Wish was released, with many differing opinions on the grex! It’s pretty much a love it or hate it type of plant, and maybe only one a mother could love!

There are some very pretty Cym. Ken Siew cultivars out there and one in particular caught my eye, with a little more green in the petals, so I succumbed to the temptation and acquired one from Wain’s Orchids in Melbourne. Cym. Ken Siew is a little more compact, which is becoming a needed trait these days.

The Rise of the Novelties

The Cym. Death Wish cross was very popular with hobbyists, and kind of cemented the spotted novelty right in the middle of hobbyists collections! However, they never quite floated my boat. Even though diploids are my thing, I never quite got the attraction of the ‘uglies’, and subsequently never acquired one. This next line of breeding though I think is even better, with more cultivar variations to choose from.

The progeny are by far my favourite in the the breeding line, with a couple more of the many variations available below:

The above images were taken from Facebook posts and www.orchidroots.com.

Orchid of the Week - Cym. That’s Outrageous
Orchid of the Week – Cym. That’s Outrageous

I do own a Cym. That’s Outrageous, obtained from Springfield Orchids in Western Australia, and an image of what it should look like when it flowers is here. There is quite a lot of green in this flower which I think is a good point of difference.

Like them, or hate them, the novelties are here to stay! They provide a much needed contrast to the everyday round tetraploid flowers that dominate the show bench. They won’t win too many prizes, but they are so different they keep attracting attention.

Looking back at the original species ancestors of this plant, using Orchid Roots, Cym. tracyanum accounts for just over 50% of this plant! The other major contributor is Cym. erythraeum.

Scroll to Top