"Blue Mystique" orchids are popping up in garden centers and other retailers all across America. The plants, which were developed by Silver Vase Orchids and Bromeliads, are marketed as "The world's first blue Phalaenopsis orchid" and typically sell for between $30 and $60. Despite the controversy the plants stir up among some circles of orchid enthusiasts, the Blue Mystique orchid received a "Cool New Product Award" when it debuted at the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition and has been widely popular across the country. If you own one of these blue bloomers, here's what you can expect.
Creating the Blue Mystique Orchid
While the Blue Mystique orchid is touted as the world's first blue Phalaenopsis orchid, buyers should understand that the flowers are not naturally blue. According to Silver Vase, "The Blue Mystique blue orchid is not painted, and it's not hybridized. It is the result of a patented process that infuses white orchids with a special medium." That medium is introduced to the plant through an injection at the base of the flower spike and is carried up the stem into the buds. The Silver Vase's website says that the process of developing the dye took many years, and, while the company does not reveal the contents of the medium they use, they do say that the dye was developed using naturally derived elements.
How to Care for Your Blue Mystique Orchid
Buyers can care for their Blue Mystique orchid just as they would care for any other Phalaenopsis orchid. Phalaenopsis orchids, sometimes referred to as "moth orchids," require moderate, indirect sunlight and warmer temperatures. This type of orchid is a moisture-loving plant, but growers must take care not to over-water their plants. Phalaenopsis orchids should be planted in a potting medium that provides thorough drainage and dries relatively quickly; many growers successfully grow their plants in fir bark or mounted on wooden plaques. If you own a Blue Mystique orchid, be sure to allow the plant to dry between waterings; the media in the plant's pot should be nearly dry before it is watered again. Your orchid should never have any water standing on its leaves or in the crevasses between its leaves, since leaving water in those areas can cause a sometimes-fatal condition called "crown rot." See the American Orchid Society's phalaenopsis culture sheet for more information on how to successfully grow your Blue Mystique Phalaenopsis orchid.
What to Expect When Your Blue Mystique Re-Flowers
If it is grown in the proper conditions, your Blue Mystique orchid can flower year after year. Growers should understand, though, that the vivid blue shade of the Blue Mystique's original flowers will not reoccur when the plant blooms again. Because the media used to color the blooms is artificial, the Phalaenopsis will naturally filter the dye out of its system until the plant's flowers are back to their original white color.
Strange's Garden Center, a florist and plant retailer based in Virginia, notes that the flower's blue shade will last 2-3 bloom cycles. Silver Vase, though, warns that the blue dye may wear off sooner, and that the plant may put out white blooms as early as the next blooming cycle.
Silver Vase warns that at-home growers are should not try to re-dye the plant. According to the page, the process of dyeing the orchids is too "complicated and technologically advanced" for consumers to re-create.
A Lifetime of Enjoyment
Silver Vase has been forthcoming about the fact that the flowers are artificially colored and have revised the orchids' tags to include the fact that the plants will not retain their electric blue coloring. While some consumers are disappointed by the fact that the flowers' color is artificial and temporary, many people determine to enjoy the orchid's shades of blue as long as they last. The important thing to remember is that, with the proper care, your Blue Mystique orchid can provide years of beautiful blooms even after the blue has faded.
Sources
- "Blue Mystique" ~ the Blue Orchid by Silver Vase, Inc. | Facebook. Facebook. Web. 03 May 2011.
- "Blue Mystique Orchid." Homesteadens.com. Web. 03 May 2011.
- Mystique Orchid: Introducing the World's First Blue Orchid!" Strangesgardencenter.com. Web. 03 May 2011.
- "Blue Mystique - The World's First Blue Phalaenopsis Orchid!" Welcome to Silver Vase, Home of the World's First Blue Phalaenopsis Orchid! Web. 03 May 2011
- "Phalaenopsis Culture Sheet." AOS | Members Only Area. Web. 03 May 2011.
- Rhoads, Jaclyn. "TPIE - 2011." FNGLA - Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association. Web. 03 May 2011.
Abigail Jarvis - Abby Jarvis is a 24 year old writer from small-town central Florida. Abby combines her widely varied interests with a strong background in ...
