This week’s Orchid Wise Orchid of the Week is… Cym. Darch Spice
Parentage: This week’s Orchid of the Week is a cross between Cym. Coral x Cym. Darch Dots
Registered: 2021
The reason why it’s our Orchid of the Week:
More spots and dots for this week’s Orchid of the Week!
Cym. Darch Spice ‘Hot Tabasco’ lives up to its fiery name in absolutely every way! Right from the first glance, the flowers grab your attention with a warm, rich golden-yellow base colour that immediately draws the eye. Building on that warmth, deep burgundy-chocolate spotting scatters generously across the flower, giving it a wonderfully wild and untamed character.
Moving to the centre of the flower, the labellum arguably steals the show entirely. A deep, velvety burgundy-black commands attention and anchors the whole composition beautifully, while a subtle creamy-white highlight at the very centre of the lip delivers a delicate and striking contrast against all that rich darkness. Meanwhile, the column echoes the golden-yellow tones of the petals above, tying the whole flower together in a surprisingly cohesive way.
The standard sized petals and sepals give the bloom an open, relaxed shape — a refreshing departure from the tight, rounded form that currently dominates the modern show bench. Furthermore, the spike carries multiple flowers in close proximity, and as a result, the plant produces a full and generous display that would certainly turn heads in any collection. Altogether, ‘Hot Tabasco’ is a plant that truly earns its name!
The above photo was borrowed from a Facebook post on the Orchid Growers Australia group.
Kevin Butler at Ezi-Gro Orchids in Western Australia is a very experienced breeder and seems to have mastered the spots and dots breeding lines in recent times.
He has an amazing array of very spotted Cyms that really stand out! Check out a cultivar of Kevin’s cross of Cym. Darch Dots here…, one of the parents of Cym. Darch Spice.
The below photo was supplied by Kevin Butler, a great example of the cultivar Cym. Darch Spice ‘Cheetah’
Your can check out the huge range of Cyms on the Ezi-Grow Orchids website here.