This week’s Orchid Wise Orchid of the Week is… Cym. Monterey Sunset ‘New Horizon’
Parentage: This week’s Orchid of the Week is a cross between Cym. Hawaiian Sunset x Cym. Ernest Hetherington
Registered: 2008
The reason why it’s our Orchid of the Week:
Everyone loves a burnt orange to brighten up the day — and this one delivers in spades! Despite its age, Cym. Monterey Sunset still adds a boatload of colour to any collection, and it shows no signs of going out of style anytime soon. It is still readily available int he U.S.
The plant originates from the late Andy Easton, and as always, his eye for colour was second to none. Right from the first glance, it’s easy to see how this flower earned its evocative name. A rich, burnished copper-orange base colour sweeps across every petal and sepal, instantly calling to mind a warm autumn sunset. On top of that, subtle darker streaking runs along each tepal, adding depth and texture without breaking up that gorgeous flow of colour.
At the heart of the flower, the labellum really takes things up a notch. A deep burgundy-red fills the interior, and a creamy-yellow margin frames it cleanly around the edges. Together, these two elements pull the eye straight to the centre — and once there, it’s hard to look away!
Step back, and the full picture is equally impressive. The flowers sit on upright green spikes and pack multiple blooms in close succession, and as a result, the display hits just as hard from across the room as it does up close. Warm, elegant and full of presence — Cym. Monterey Sunset is simply a must for any collection!
Tracing the plant’s heritage, as registered, using Orchid Roots, its primary species ancestors are Cym. insigne, Cym. lowianum and Cym. eburneum.
The above photo was borrowed from a Facebook post by Susumu Furuya.