The stunning bulb from Peru, Pamianthe peruviana, is in bloom now. This incredibly beautiful bulb is from Peru, where it grows as an epiphyte on tree branches. The flowering tube is about 25cm long, and is so strongly scented that I can smell the perfume even before I open the greenhouse door in the morning. They are pollinated by moths, I believe.
My bulbs don't bloom every year, and in recent years I have only had one bulb bloom at a time, but this year two are currently in bloom, and (oh joy!), this morning I saw another fat bud emerging from a third bulb. I think the production of these enormous flowers drains the bulb of so much energy, they just can't do a repeat performance every year, so I am very thrilled that I will have three bulbs blooming and the possibility of seed this year. I have only once had seed from one of my plants, after which it took a couple of years to recover and start blooming regularly. The seed takes 15 months to mature. I didn't believe that, it seemed so strange, but that is exactly what happened with my plant. I think plants from equatorial regions just make their own rules about blooming and setting seed, not having distinct seasons to tell them what to do.
I will save the pollen from my three plants and freeze it so that if I have one bulb blooming in the future I can pollinate it. I have read that they will accept their own pollen, but this hasn't been the case with my plants. Unfortunately, right now I don't have any for sale, although I do have a tray of immature bulbs, but separating them is going to be a big job, and I am not ready to do that yet.