Dendrobium spectabile

[Bud]

This specie is endemic to Australia, Papua and New Guinea that was discovered and registered in 1849. The canes and leaves are large and imposing yet the flowers are some of the most unusual in the Dendrobium alliance. The orchid plant needs to be at least four to five years old before it gets a flower shoot. I have seen this Dendrobium with canes of more than 3 feet. A heavy sturdy 8-inch to 10-inch pot is needed to hold this large tall orchid plant. Its size and weight compares to the large Cymbidiums.

It is a very collectible orchid plant that you will either come to love or hate …. Are they really awesome or weird and ugly?
I personally consider it as ‘art in nature’ and in its own way also beautiful although not classically beautiful as most flowers are.

The flowers of Dendrobium spectabile defy description. The bizarre 4-inch blossoms have sepals and petals that are extremely twisted — sometimes wrapping around each other and keeping the buds from opening. The colors are a blend of yellow, burgundy and ivory but give the impression of a washed-out tan. The throat has a “hinged” mechanism that flutters with air movement, attracting a specific pollinator in the wild. I simulate this bounce by gently shaking the flower. This is the sixth week since the flowers have fully opened. I have seen older plants that can easily produce 100 blossoms or more= I still have a young five years old plant and I am lucky to have a single spike this blooming cycle.

Another reason why I grow this is because of its fragrance. This flower’s semi-sweet aroma is strong from across the room, day or night. Even Oncidium Sharry Baby, the famous chocolate-scented Dancing Lady, cannot compete with the intensity.

The culture of D. spectabile is pretty much like the common type Dendrobiums except that I give it higher light, more like Vanda levels (5,000 foot candles) or bright shade direct sun exposure during summer months outside the fire escape so it will give me flowers. I feed it weekly weakly k-lite fertilizer with seaweed mix and water it twice a week and I potted in an orchid mix for all Dendrobiums. I give it a drastic winter rest withholding water from Halloween to Valentine’s Day until I see new growths.