VANDA PURES WAX BLUE # 99 PLANTS

Description

the Vanda Pure Wax Blue (often referenced as Vanda Pure’s Wax Blue), a popular Vanda hybrid prized by orchid growers:

🌸 About the Plant

• Botanical Group: Vanda hybrid orchid — part of a genus well-known for its striking showy flowers and tropical appeal.

• Hybrid Parentage: Classic cross of Vanda Doctor Anek × Vanda Kasem’s Delight (registered grex known as Pure’s Wax), selected for improved flower size, color and durability.

• Common Use: Grown as an ornamental plant and often used in cut flower production due to its impressive blooms.

🌺 Flowers & Appearance

• Color: Rich deep blue-violet / purplish blue flowers with a waxy glossy texture — the waxy look gives the name Wax Blue.

• Flower Size: Typically large blooms (often around 10–12 cm across in mature plants).

• Sepals: Lateral sepals are notably dark — almost black in strong color intensity — enhancing contrast and visual drama.

• Blooming Frequency: Under ideal care, Vandas can produce multiple spikes (clusters of flowers) each year.

• Fragrance: Usually no noticeable scent on most commercial plants of this hybrid.

🪴 Plant Characteristics

• Growth Habit: Monopodial — grows from a single upright stem with aerial roots extending outward.

• Roots: Thick, aerial roots are typical of Vanda orchids and absorb moisture and nutrients directly from air/water.

• Leaves: Strap-like leaves along the stem; evergreen and firm.

• Size: Can vary — from small seedlings to large mature plants — depending on age and growing conditions.

🌞 Growing Conditions

• Light: Bright indirect sunlight — too much strong direct sun can scorch leaves, but bright filtered light helps flower production.

• Temperature: Prefers warm to intermediate conditions, reflecting its tropical origins.

• Watering: Frequent watering keeps aerial roots green; avoid letting the crown (top leaves) stay wet to prevent rot. Water daily in hot weather or every few days depending on humidity and air flow.

• Humidity: High humidity (60–80%) supports healthy growth — misting and good air circulation helps.

• Fertilizer: Use a balanced orchid fertilizer weekly during the active growing season; higher phosphorus feeds encourage blooms.

• Potting: Often grown without traditional potting media, in hanging baskets or mounted with roots exposed to good airflow.

🌿 Care Tips

✔ Do not allow complete drying of roots — keep evenly moist but not soggy.
✔ Water mainly at morning to prevent cold, damp crowns.
✔ Provide good air flow around roots to reduce disease risks.
✔ Avoid letting water sit at the crown of the plant to prevent rot.

💡 Summary

The Vanda Pure Wax Blue is a tropical hybrid orchid valued for its large, deep blue-violet waxy flowers, vigorous aerial root growth, and showy, long-lasting blooms. It’s a rewarding plant for enthusiasts who provide bright light, warm temperatures, high humidity, and regular watering with good air circulation.