Plant of the Month - Miltoniopsis Silver ‘Copper Splash’ x Bertha Baker ‘Florentine’
Miltoniopsis Silver ‘Copper Splash’ x Bertha Baker ‘Florentine’, January 2024 lights/windowsill-grown Plant of the Month
Photo courtesy of Joan Goodman
An interview with the grower, Cathleen Daghestani.
By John Hockberger
Cathleen, tell us about this plant, including its taxonomical name.
Cathleen — This is a Miltoniopsis hybrid, Silver 'Copper Splash' x Bertha Baker 'Florentine.'
How and when did you acquire it?
Cathleen — I've had this orchid for about a year. It was in Natt’s Orchids’ exhibit at last year’s Spring Show. I fell in love with it because it had several spikes of flowers 3/4 of the way around, and it was just gorgeous. George Titterton encouraged me to ask Prayool from Natt’s if he would sell it to me, and Prayool said yes! At that time I had had a few Miltoniopsis for a couple of years, and to tell you the truth, they were not looking good at all. And when I saw this one, I thought wow, it would be so nice to have a good looking Miltoniopsis again and try to keep it looking great. That’s what led to my special attention to this orchid in particular.
What is special about it that you love?
Cathleen — Well first, how can you not love Miltoniopsis flowers? Miltoniopsis is commonly called the pansy orchid because their flowers resemble pansies. The flowers are a really nice size, and this particular one is white with some pink, and with yellow, orange, and red on the lip that reminds me of a ray of sunshine. It's also fragrant. It smells amazing.
Detail - Miltoniopsis Silver ‘Copper Splash’ x Bertha Baker ‘Florentine’
Photo courtesy of Joan Goodman
I was struck by how beautifully grown it was and its great presentation when I bought it. When I'm considering what to add to my collection, if at all possible, I like to look for orchids that have more than one flower spike. I thought this plant had the potential to be so rewarding with several spikes if I could give it the conditions that it needed.
This plant in particular started spiking last fall and its first flowers opened in December. Just when I thought I had counted 10 spikes I saw an 11th and a 12th, then 13th and 14th. Miltoniopsis flowers last for several weeks, so you can really enjoy them for a good stretch of time. It's not like my Stanhopea reichenbachiana that is also amazing but produces flowers that last just 2 days!
One of the more valuable things we learn from these interviews is whether we might be able to keep a plant such as yours alive in our homes. What have been your growing conditions for this plant? Ie. Location in your home, lighting conditions, and how do you water it?
Cathleen — I've had ups and downs with my Miltoniopsis orchids. I’ve nearly killed a few. I was previously more accustomed to orchids that only needed weekly watering and general household humidity levels. What I learned with Miltoniopsis is that they need to be kept damp continuously, and in addition, they do like high humidity. So originally I was growing them in an area that probably had 30% humidity at best, and it seemed that no matter how well I watered them, their leaves pleated. I didn't use a humidity tray or humidifier at first, which I believe was one of the main problems.
Based on that experience, I made a concerted effort to water my Silver x Bertha Baker hybrid sometimes 3 to 4 times a week to keep it damp. I don’t always take it out and drench it in the sink. Most days I water it using a pump sprayer to moisten the medium around the top. I grow it in a room in my basement, next to a humidifier that runs several hours a day, and the humidity level gets up to 70% many hours of the day. Miltoniopsis generally require a low level of light similar to Phalaenopsis, so the lighting part of the equation is easy. Also, this plant does not like it any hotter than 80°, so it's an indoor plant all year-round.
The other thing I like to do with Miltoniopsis orchids in particular, is to cover new root growth as soon as I see it emerging from the base of a pseudobulb. I found it’s really important to do that so that those new roots stay moist along with the rest of the plant.
How often does it bloom for you?
Cathleen — I’d expect this to bloom for me once a year.
Would you classify this plant as easy to grow, intermediate, or difficult?
Cathleen — You know, I generally don’t consider plants to be easy or difficult to grow. I consider whether I can provide them with the conditions that they need. Sure, many regard Miltoniopsis as difficult to grow, but if you can give it a little extra humidity with humidity trays or a humidifier, and keep it damp with regular watering, observe and adjust from there, these orchids can grow beautifully.
Anything else that an orchid enthusiast/grower might like to know when deciding whether this is a plant for them?
Cathleen — Consistency is key with this one.
