Looking for species similar to fanjingshanense, or jinghuanum

[Hazeldazel]

I currently grow mostly species in a Milsbo cabinet in my office and would like to get some recommendations for some small dendrobiums that like intermediate to warm conditions. I have Den. fanjingshanense, jinghuanum, and bensoniae - can you suggest other similar species?

[Roberta]

I wouldn't call Den bensoniae "small"... it may start out that way, but this is what it can become: http://orchidcentral.org/Images/Dend...soniae%202.jpg

How about Den laevifolium or Den venustum?

[Neural_Toxin]

For something native in that similar range, you might want to look into Den moniliforme. It stays small, very popular in China/Japan for different varieties.

Another one I can think of is Den aberrans. Very unique for being a Latouria. White flowers, remains small.

[Hazeldazel]

Thanks for the recommendations, moniliforme is on my list. What about D. xichouense or shixingense?

[Roberta]

D. xichouense can bet a bit leggy... not huge, but not compact either. I do have that one, I think of it as more of a cool-grower, grows around 1900 m in Yunnan where it would experience chilly winters. Don't know how it would do under warm/intermediate conditions. (Likely would grow fine, but blooming maybe another story.) That actually is a consideration with the Chinese species in general that you're looking at - my suggestions were for species that I would grow in GH (not needing or wanting cold). Species from Yunnan or nearby Chinese provinces do experience winter chill. (The ones that I grow seem to like those lows into the low 40's F or cooler) That's also how I grow D. bensoniae.

[Hazeldazel]

Thanks so much! I grow indoors and recently switched from a crappy shelf to an enclosed milsbo so my temps and humidity are much higher during the day. Still gets coolish at night but certainly not down to the 40’s. I’m surprised how big the bensoniae will get, I really thought it would stay small certainly mine will take a few years to get there when it hopefully won’t be an issue by then. I guess that’s the sucky thing about growing indoors, size is such an issue! Blegh I want all the things!

[Roberta]

No matter how much space one has, it fills up! My back yard is at that point... I am trying to stick to miniatures now.

I hope that as it gets bigger, that you can find space to keep that D. bensoniae happy. Of my deciduous Dens, that is the only one that I actually do mostly dry out (a squirt with the hose occasionally)... it is so reliable about losing leaves in the fall, I think that's what it's trying to tell me so I listen. The flowers are delightfully fragrant - vanilla, or maybe cookie dough. It sits there from late November or early December with not a leaf or any sign of life, somewhere around May or June, the buds appear, and new growth starts. One of my favorites!

[Hazeldazel]

I have some taller dens in the cabinet (glomeratum and Victoria-reginae) so I’ll definitely have a place for it no matter what, just will have to get another cabinet at some point once my seedlings get bigger. You should check out jinghuanum it’s very similar to bensoniae but more color on the blooms.

My warm growing species phals are absolutely loving thr cabinet they are growing like mad - including my gigantea. I never realized how much my lower humidity was holding my collection back.

[Roberta]

Just looked up Den . jinghuanum ... Really new species (IOSPE and Orchidwiz didn't even have it, OrchidRoots did, published in 2020). Beautiful! I was able to find a reference on it, that it comes from Yunnan. So no doubt similar culture to a bunch of the cooler-growing Dens. (D. bensoniae is a little lower elevation but not much)

Maybe time already for another cabinet, that you can keep cooler... if the temperature is right for the Phals, won't be ideal for these high-elevation Chinese Dendrobiiums. Den victoria-reginae is relatively high elevation in the Philippines, but should do fine warm though it also grows cool well, D. gomeratum will certainly be fine warm (that's its reputation) though I have one from Andy that grows cool (at my house and also the nursery) - i have to suspect that there are higher elevation populations that mine came from. Because it breaks all the rules.

[Hazeldazel]

Yup that was my plan, to get a second cabinet eventually that I’ll put the cooler growing ones in. I guess I’ll have to either have fewer lights or more venting to keep it cooler. So far, so good, I’m adjusting the day length so they get a winter/summer and I do adjust the amount of water they get so even they don’t get COLD they do get a differential.