Den. Kingianum vs Den. Parshii in fragrance, size, and growth habit
 

Hi! I’m thinking of getting my first dendrobium and I’ve narrowed it down to these two. A few questions I have:

1. Which one is the stronger in fragrance? I want something super intense and I’ve seen mixed opinions on if Kingianum even has a scent at all! Is there a specific cultivar I should be looking for?

2. Which one generally grows more compact or vertical? I have a lot of vertical space but not horizontal.

3. Are they both dedocious (drop their leaves in the winter?) Generally, which is a more reliable bloomer? Thank you so much for the help!

1. Both are powerfully fragrant, parishii smells like berries, kingianum more floral
2. Kingianum has a neat and compact growth habit. My parishii's growth habit is messy.
3. Parishii is deciduous and Kingianum is not.

Kingianum requires a cold winter under 50 degrees to bloom, parishii does not.

Thank you! How long does is the kingianum winter rest supposed to last?

Not sure what the minimum cold period is but likely a couple months. Most aussie dendros have this requirement.

Parishii is really a hanging basket plant, but you can tie it upright. Both need about 6-8 weeks of winter nights close to 50 F / 10C to flower, with reduced but not completely withheld watering. Kingianum flowers well in a pot outside in coastal California exposed to the elements. Parishii probably would too.

We don't know where you are located. Here in NJ, I keep parishii in the greenhouse, as I wouldn't expose it to full sun.

Den. kingianum goes outside into full sun, as soon as the last frost date has passed. It stays there, till first frost is in the forecast. That means late April into at least mid October. There are two hard rules about kingianum though:

Fertilizer
Feed regularly from time it blooms, through Sept 15th. FULL STOP. If you fertilize past this date, you get keikis and no blooms.

Water
Water well (do not let it dry out) from time flowers open, through Oct 15th. PARTIAL STOP. At this point I reduce watering 90%, to once every 2-4 weeks. Once buds form, I gradually increase watering, so that it is back to normal by the time flowers open.
If you water too much after Oct 15th, it inhibits setting of buds.