This is one of those orchid that has beautiful foliage on it’s own. Different than the many other 2000 species of bulbophyllum in that it has purple leaves. Some varieties more purple than the rest. I was lucky to get this almost full purple specimen, mostly only have purple undersides and veins.

This is a warm loving plant, but do not keep it under direct sun, or it will burn. (As I have learnt)

As you can see, the underside of the leaf is very purple. Really sorry for this terrible shot, as the flower have just finished blooming and is slowly wilting.

Never owning a bulbophyllum before, let alone, seeing it bloom, I was determine to pay extra attention to it, and to wait for it to send out flower spikes.

True enough, my patience and care paid off. This small bulbous plant, sent off 3 flower stalk, which grew quickly on a thin almost 10cm pedicle.

Initially the bud reveals a bright yellowish green coloured petals of curled flowers.

As days went by, the flowers grew longer, and fades to a paler yellow.

Almost there….

A little more…

And after about 6-7 days of progress, the Bulbophyllum Purpurascens aka the purple orchid finally bloomed. And by joy, it is perfect. A stalk holding 9 pale yellow flowers, each the about 1/3 cm with about 2cm petals. Unscented.

It may have taken a long time to bloom, but the flowers faded the very next day, and in 4 days, it was no more.

John Keats was right way back in the 17th century, “A Thing Of Beauty, is  A Joy Forever.”

I do hope my blog brought some joy to my readers as much as it had brought to me.

Bulbophyllum Purpurascens.