Coelogyne Unchained Melody

This beautiful Coelogyne has sprays of delicate white and orange flowers in early spring. It does well planted in containers. Very sensitive to repotting, so set it up in a good quality potting mix and pot on rather than fully repotting when required.

Quick Look:

• Light: best grown in light to medium shade year round
• Water: needs to be kept moist but can be allowed to dry out a little over winter
• Size: Grows up to 30cm high with a spreading habit
• Temp: A cool to warm growing orchid, avoid frost
• Propagation: Best propagated by large 6-10 bulb divisions.
• Flowers: Early Spring
• Origin: A hybrid of Coelogyne flaccida and Coelogyne cristata both of which come from the mountains of the Himalayas.
• Growth Cycle: flowers in early spring followed by new growth over summer, winter dormant.

Care Information

General Care for Coelogyne Unchained Melody

Coelogyne Unchained Melody is a great beginner plant being more tolerant of missteps than most. It forms a great specimen plant and once in full flower makes an impressive sight.

It is relatively pest and disease resistant but avoid letting water sit in the tubular new growth or they may rot and as with most plants a regular inspection of the underside of the leaves for scale and aphids can avoid small problems becoming big ones.

Watering

Coelogynes for the most part like to be kept moist year round and can be watered more heavily when they are actively growing in summer.

While not fatal they can form brown tips where you use water high in dissolved salts or over fertilise so use rain water or RO water if your water source has particularly high salt levels.

Where to Grow

This plant does well in shaded areas outside in frost free areas. It does particularly well under a pergola or deciduous tree in a hanging basket.

It can also be grown inside provided it gets good light and humidity but beware it multiples relatively quickly so is not a small space plant.

Growing Season

Coelogyne Unchained Melody flowers in early spring from the previous years growth and will then send out new shoots in late spring early summer, during this period its important to fertilise frequently with a low dose fertiliser.

Cool Variety

A variety of Coelogyne Unchained Melody called ‘Lemoniana’ or 'Mossiae' does exist and while a little rarer is with trying to find. It replaces orange markings on the lip with pale lemon ones, giving the flowers an very delicate appearance.

Propagation

Coelogynes make great specimen plants and a large pot full in full bloom is sure to impress your guests. Unless you need or want to give away some to a friend keeping your plant in one piece is recommended. If you do want to propagate the best way is to divide the plant immediately after flowering and ideally into divisions of at least 6 bulbs as some plants can be  set back during division.