Dendrobium nobile
 

The first half dozen blooms have now opened, and the plant should have a fairly impressive display once the other thirty or so buds open. This is the first D. nobile that I've ever grown, so I'm not positive which variety it is. But I think it's probably just the standard type. The two largest growths, which are a little over 24" (61 cm) tall, are the ones in bud right now (a couple of the more scrawny and older pseudobulbs are also producing a few buds).

Steve
Dendrobium nobile on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Dendrobium nobile on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Really nice, I love the dark centers on these ones.

This is definitely one of the best species from a really great group! Unfortunately, I've never grown one myself. Are flowers scented?

Steve, the blooms have a slight fragrance, especially when the plant's sitting in direct sunlight in the early morning. I have smelled blooms from hybrid nobiles, however, that were really nice. So I'm not sure where those hybrids got their strong scent from. Perhaps the nobile hybrids might have something more than pure D. nobile in their background--or maybe there's some variation in scent from one plant of D. nobile to the next. Even though some of the hybrids have nicer scents, I still think that I prefer the pure species plants and blooms.

I love the color combo on this one. Great growing, Steve. :bowing

Gorgeous, Steve! That'll be spectacular when all the other buds open. I really like the strong visual contrast in the flowers. Nice growing!

--Nat

Very pretty nobile! mine is still in a cooler area right now. I spotted new growth on it yesterday. Last year it only produced leaves , no buds. Any advice?

Hi Pamela, this website has great practical advice regarding control of blooming in nobile-based hybrids (which should also apply to most species in this section with appropriate modifications according to natural habitat):

Yamamoto Dendrobiums Hawaii

And this culture sheet has valuable habitat information specific to Den. nobile:

Dendrobium Species Culture

One of the main factors controlling blooming is always going to be the amount of energy a plant has stored up, particularly in those with strong seasonal cycles. Younger, smaller plants or those that haven't gotten sufficient light during the last growth phase may not have enough stored carbohydrates to push out a good flush of blooms, though they'll typically otherwise be fine. The bigger and leafier a plant gets the more readily it will collect solar energy to make carbs that support blooming.

If you're getting a lot of keikis instead of bloom spikes I would try reducing the amount of Nitrogen you feed the plant while it's growing, and definitely don't fertilize during the seasonal dormancy. Some individuals and lines are just easier bloomers than others, and some are also more or less prone to keiki-ing. You might still get blooms this year once your plant stores enough energy and 'feels' its seasonal cues sufficiently. I hope this helps, and good luck!

--Nat

Thanks Nat for the great information, I read some of it last night, very helpful. So much to learn about orchids. You have been a big help!! I noticed you live in Asheville, Visited my brother there years ago, very beautiful place. Thanks again, Pam

Very nice! I love this species. It is more beautiful than most modern nobile dendrobiums.