How to grow the fabulous orchid Zygonisia Cynosure 'Blue Birds'! (It's not blue!!) 

This is a valuable video to follow your thought process, especially when cultural information is not available from books or the internet. It is educational to watch you tracing back through parentage to hazard a guess about culture. Thanks.

Hi a quick update on my Blue Bird Orchid I purchased last October. It was in bloom when I purchased it. It is Now in bud and should be in bloom mid April (I Hope) Here in West Palm Beach Floyda it spent the winter outside. Temps dropped into the upper 40's several nights. I like plastic baskets and that is what it is in. I water all my orchids just about every evening. I try to watch your video every several months to make sure I am giving it proper care. I enjoy all your videos.

This one is probably the most difficult Zygo hybrid to grow. Unlike how I grow all others, this one I grow as a true epiphyte, in medium bark (just bark) and let it get to very nearly dry before watering again. All others I grow in sphagnum and I never let them dry. I also grow it bright, at least Oncidium light or a little more (same as all other Zygos). It also ends up having a rather narrow temperature rage in which it is happy, it does poorly in temperatures below 13 C and even worse in temperatures consistently above 32. The sweet spot I've found is 21-26. If you want a similar bloom, it's cousin Zns Murasakikomachi is much less temperamental in care. It will tolerate going dry but prefers constantly moist, doesn't flake if it gets too warm or too hot. My only complaint is that it has a tendency not to bloom on each new growth. It will put up a set of growths and bloom, but the next set of new growths will not bloom.

I have the same one mine is just starting to produce flowers before producing psudobulbs i got mine from local supermarket called morrisons for £6, i hope you have a nice Christmas and i hope you have a excellent day be good and good day. 😊

I just purchased a Zygonisia Cynosure at the Delray Beach Florida Sale last weekend (October 22, 2023). Your video was very helpful. Thank you

I really appreciate all the background info you give. It’s very helpful.

Matthew , I just purchased a Zygonisia Cynosure 'Blue Birds' from the SF Orchid Society online sales and watching your video on this orchid , made me want to give it a try .SF generally doesn't get as cold, nor as warm as Melbourne does. Year 'round we stay between 7 and 23, and for the most part we have high humidity . That being said , I'm going to grow it indoors in my kitchen . Thank you for sharing your detailed experience with growing it . Wish me luck ;-)

Thanks for sharing Matthew! I was recently gifted this and there is barely any care information anywhere. So thank you for saving the day!!! I love your care videos 😁🌺

I grow my Zygonisia in a shade house facing north. Pot mix is good quality bark, perlite &charcoal. It has a saucer so I can keep it damp but not soggy. My fertiliser routine is similar to yours.Our temps. seem to agree with it here.

Merry Christmas Matthew! So nice to see you featuring this orchid because I have one too, but never see much about it. Great photo of bloom, thank you! It is exquisite!

Merry Christmas thankyou for the great year of information,and the many orchids you have shown us,have a fantastic new year,and catch up for the next orchid adventures.👍🥰

I have one of these glorious orchids in Brisbane. I find most of my orchids turn on their fragrance as the day warms up. The night fragrant ones usually still smell in the early morning, if temp.warm enough.

I have taken your advice and bought one for my Sydney balcony. We’ll see how it goes!

Hi Matthew. Every time I look at the lip of this flower it reminds me of the skirt on a beautiful dress, the little anther cap where the pollen is looks like the head of the lady. You are probably too close to the plant to see what I see, but it’s really lovely. I look forward to seeing more updates on this plant, (IMO) it’s such a perfect looking bloom.

I really appreciate this care video. I just got one of these and feel very much out of my element. I grow intermediate to hot so I thought I could finally have some kind of zygo but I'm quite nervous about it. I was particularly interested in seeing how you brought yours back by condition adjustments and how it could grow even while struggling. Google is hard because you are right, you really only see the best of the best.

Happy holliday to you… and merry Christmas from Bordeaux, France.

Merry Christmas🌹🌹🌹

Happy Christmas, Matthew. That is a stunning flower 😮!

I grow this! It does look like a bird. I just put a video ony channel Besotted Orchids a few days ago. All my zygopetalum types are in the video

Zygopetalums will grow happily inside Matthew as well as outside and even in the ground. I have four. I have a zygonista inside in bright light acquired this winter already in flower growing happily.

Hello Matthew, your Orchid is a beauty! So happy you were able save her. I have an Orchid that I think is part of the same family. Tsubotaara Melinda Marie 'Blue Moon' and she looks almost exactly like yours. I have two new growths so far. She's in medium bark and spaghnum moss in filtered light! I hope she'll bloom for me in spring! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Hi again Matthew, I have a Zygonisia Murasakikomachi and I live in the UK so my conditions are obviously cooler than yours but I've found that if any of the new growths get any water on them when it's at all cool they will rot and it quickly spreads. So if you see any rot cut it off and use cinnamon or something on it. The pseudobulbs seem to climb on top of each other and I sprayed the new ones because the roots were up high but I lost the new growths. My Pabstia does the same thing 🤷‍♀️ Have a great Xmas, we have been in Sydney at this time of year a few times and it seems really odd to hear Xmas songs played in the supermarket when it's 30C outside 😄

Mine isn’t fragrant either

I just purchased one and do they grow in potting soil or bark mixture?

Mine has no smell.

Lavender lol