Cattleya violacea is a warm growing species native to the Orinoco and Amazon river basins. The flowers can appear in spring, summer and occasionally fall depending on the maturity of the growths. This plant has typically 3 inch flowers colored in a dark magenta purple with a scarlet red/yellow lip. Being a tetraploid these plants are vigorous and have thick leaves and strong growths. The flowers are very fragrant and have a heavy substance. The flowers seem to glimmer in bright light with a crystalline cell structure. Flower longevity is 3-4 weeks. The Silver Medal of the Taiwan Orchid Growers Association is equivilant to an Award of Merit from the American Orchid Society.