This week’s Orchid Wise Orchid of the Week is… Cym. Trigo Royale ‘Ridgeway’ HCC/AOS
Parentage: This week’s Orchid of the Week is a cross between Cym. Rosinante x Cym. October
Registered: 1970
The reason why it’s our Orchid of the Week:
This registration predates me, yet it still stands as a true pedigree classic. Cym. Trigo Royale earned widespread recognition in its time, and even today, growers continue to mention it with respect. Cobb’s Orchids registered it during their peak years as a major force on the Santa Barbara orchid scene, which adds further weight to its history.
By today’s standards, it may not rank as the boldest, brightest, or most refined flower. However, upon its release, it made a significant impact. At the time, growers highly valued it as an early-season white/cream/yellow with tall, upright spikes and a very free-flowering habit. Consequently, it quickly became a sought-after plant and maintained that status for many years.
Beyond its immediate appeal, it also proved its worth in breeding. To date, breeders have used it to produce 89 progeny, several of which have become genuine show stoppers. Among them sits a name familiar to almost every Cymbidium enthusiast—Cym. Tracey Reddaway, bred by Geyserland.
Given the strength of its pedigree, most major breeders of the era incorporated it into their programs. As a result, its influence spread widely through early-blooming Cymbidiums. In fact, you can trace its legacy through hybrids such as Cym. Baltic Snow, Cym. Summer Pearl, Cym. Earlisue, and Cym. Point Conception—all of which have achieved legendary status, both as exhibition plants and as foundational breeding stock.
Its quality also earned formal recognition.
In 1974, an exhibited plant received a High Class Certificate from the American Orchid Society at a show bench judging event. Interestingly, the spike carried only nine flowers at the time, which, by typical standards, would not be considered a strong count. Nevertheless, the overall quality clearly impressed the judges.
However, the story does not end there….
Occasionally, registration errors occur, and this appears to be one of those cases. In short, many believe the hybridiser, Clayton Smith, mistakenly used pollen from a different plant. Instead of Cym. Rosinante, the more likely parent appears to be Cym. Earlyana.
This distinction matters. Cym. Rosinante flowers late in the season and gained fame largely through its offspring, Cym. Pink Champagne, bred by Dos Pueblos and later used by Featherhill Orchids to establish a pink Cymbidium line. Given that late-flowering background, it seems an unlikely parent for an early-blooming hybrid like Trigo Royale.
On the other hand, Cym. Earlyana presents a far more logical fit. With Cym. Early Bird and Cym. Louisiana as its parents—and with Early Bird specifically used to develop early-blooming lines—it aligns perfectly with the characteristics seen in Trigo Royale.
Regardless of the uncertainty surrounding its parentage, one point remains clear. Cym. Trigo Royale has left an undeniable mark on Cymbidium breeding, influencing generations of hybrids long after its release.
Tracing the plant’s heritage, as registered, using Orchid Roots, its primary species ancestors are Cym. insigne, Cym. tracyanum and Cym. lowianum.
Images in this article were provided by Santa Barbara Orchid Estate and a post from the Cymbidium Orchid Lovers Facebook page.
Some of the information in this article was kindly provided by Andy Easton before his passing.