We have some very exciting news to share with you: the rare, natural hybrid Lady Virginia orchid (Vanda lombokensis Virginia Courtauld) an orchid named by Sir Stephen Courtauld for his wife, Lady Virginia Courtauld, has just flowered in the orchid house at La Rochelle Country House!
Nhau Tinga proudly revealing the Lady Virginia Orchid
The orchid is exceptionally rare and has only flowered a handful of times in recorded history, famously making headlines when it bloomed in October 2016 for the first time since 1973. It has since bloomed more regularly annually including 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The orchid has a rare beauty, is unapologetically elegant and stunningly beautiful!
The NTZ would like to express its sincere gratitude to the orchid team including Peter and Nhau at La Rochelle for their total dedication in nurturing this rare exotic orchid and for their expert care and respect it has required over all the years.
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” John Keats
Here are some fun orchid facts for you that you will enjoy:
Orchids are special because they form one of the largest, oldest, and most diverse plant families on Earth, featuring extraordinary evolutionary survival skills and unique growth habits.
Extreme Diversity and Evolution
- Ancient lineage: Orchids have existed for over 100 million years, meaning they shared the planet with dinosaurs
Massive family
- They are the second-largest flowering plant family, with more than 30,000 wild species and occur the world over, except in the two Arctic zones
Size extremes
- They range from the world’s smallest orchid at just 2.1 millimeters to the Asian giant tiger orchid, which can weigh over a ton
Unique Survival Habits
Air-dwelling nature
- Many orchids are epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants, like trees, instead of soil), absorbing moisture and nutrients directly from the air and rain through exposed roots
Masters of deception
- Some species mimic the look, feel, or scent of female insects to trick male bugs into pollinating them
Dust-like seeds
- An individual orchid pod can release millions of microscopic seeds that rely on specific fungi to germinate
The orchid shade house is looking much better post the renovations, here are some of the other beautiful orchids that are thriving there.
The pinky lilac orchids on the left and the white on the right are Dendrobium nobile and the yellow orchid is Dendrobium fimbriatum var. oculata
Peter Masamvu in the Vanda house
One of the very pretty Dendrobium nobile varieties, a prolific bloomer!
Another eye-catching Dendrobium nobile variety
One of the tri-colour Vanda’s in bloom – many actual names now lost in history – we will attempt to name them as we can with the help of overseas collectors
One of the lovely yellow Dendrobiums
A spectacular Cattleya hybrid
Cattleyas blooming beautifully in their newly covered greenhouse – shade cloth donated by WebTex
We very much look forward to seeing you at La Rochelle soon and
showing you our amazing collection of orchids.
