This week’s Orchid Wise Orchid of the Week is… Cym. Jungle Odyssey ‘Tiger Stripe’
Parentage: This week’s Orchid of the Week is a cross between Cym. Mary Princess × Cym. Caringal
Registered: 2013
The reason why it’s our Orchid of the Week:
This week’s Orchid Wise Orchid of the Week was another interesting spot during my last visit to Wain’s Orchids in September this year (2025). As with Cym. Warringa Claret last week, this is the best I’ve seen a Cym. Jungle Odyssey ‘Tiger Stripe’ flower! A really great flower count on three spikes and an intermediate flower that stands out, shouting ‘look at me’! It might be an older plant but it’s still a solid performer.
Bred and registered by Julian and Frances Coker of Atlantis Orchids in Victoria, this is one of several registrations for the late Julian and Frances Coker. Julian and his wife Frances built what was probably Australia’a leading Orchid nursery during the 1990’s. It remained so for probably 20+ years and were known all over the country. The driving force behind the establishment of The Orchid Societies Council of Victoria (OSCOV), Frances and Julian were also both foundation Judges on OSCOV’s judging panel.
Unfortunately Atlantis Orchids was dissolved when we lost Frances and Julian, but so many of us here in Australia still have plants either obtained from or created by them, so their legacy lives on.
Cym. Jungle Odyssey ‘Tiger Stripe’, grown by Julian and Frances, was awarded an Award of Distinction (AD) in 2011 by the OSCOV with the description – Intermediate Cymbidium – 1 Tall arching infloresence with 19 well spaced deep yellow barred red/brown flowers. As I mentioned, a great flower count goes a long way in making a plant stand out from the crowd.
Cym. Jungle Odyssey is still fairly widely available I think, but certainly Wain’s Orchids still have some if you’d like one!
Tracing the plant’s heritage using Orchid Roots, its primary species ancestors are Cym. insigne Cym. floribundum, and Cym. lowianum — the first two of which have been used extensively to produce today’s modern Cymbidiums.