Oz King Orchid in flower

[Pedro 65]

Australia's east coast native Dendrobium speciosum or King Orchid is in flower here in our gardens, heres a few pics to share. Pete

[Walter John]

Here's some at my sisters place bayside Brisbane..

[Cindy Adair]

Stunning!

[Tropicgardener]

Both look like forms of Dendrobium speciosum var. hillii....... Yours Pedro looks almost white? There is a form that grows up on the high ridges about Christmas Creek (not far from the Stinson plane wreck) that is the purist of white.......quite stunning.

[Pedro 65]

Both look like forms of Dendrobium speciosum var. hillii....... Yours Pedro looks almost white? There is a form that grows up on the high ridges about Christmas Creek (not far from the Stinson plane wreck) that is the purist of white.......quite stunning.

Yeh it is white and starts very pure white Andrew but at the end of flowering once they are all full open its a very light cream/yellow. I got mine years ago from Cassandra's parents property which is very close to the Border ranges, their massive fig trees are loaded

[tropicbreeze]

I've tried growing these at my place but they just fade away over a few years. The first year they flowered like crazy, but then just shrunk. Was always hoping to find a variety suited to a warm climate because I think they look great. My father had stacks growing really well in Melbourne, seems they like a little touch of frost.

[Pedro 65]

I've tried growing these at my place but they just fade away over a few years. The first year they flowered like crazy, but then just shrunk. Was always hoping to find a variety suited to a warm climate because I think they look great. My father had stacks growing really well in Melbourne, seems they like a little touch of frost.

Zig, these grow naturally up the E/coast from Vic to Cooktown and certainly no frost where ours are so they should grow at yours fine up a tree, ties it up there with hessian or the likes a few times round so the roots can get in quick and feel "safe and comfy" Pete

[Tropicgardener]

Both look like forms of Dendrobium speciosum var. hillii....... Yours Pedro looks almost white? There is a form that grows up on the high ridges about Christmas Creek (not far from the Stinson plane wreck) that is the purist of white.......quite stunning.

Yeh it is white and starts very pure white Andrew but at the end of flowering once they are all full open its a very light cream/yellow. I got mine years ago from Cassandra's parents property which is very close to the Border ranges, their massive fig trees are loaded

Very likely to be the same form then, lucky you !!

[Tropicgardener]

I've tried growing these at my place but they just fade away over a few years. The first year they flowered like crazy, but then just shrunk. Was always hoping to find a variety suited to a warm climate because I think they look great. My father had stacks growing really well in Melbourne, seems they like a little touch of frost.

Zig, these grow naturally up the E/coast from Vic to Cooktown and certainly no frost where ours are so they should grow at yours fine up a tree, ties it up there with hessian or the likes a few times round so the roots can get in quick and feel "safe and comfy" Pete

Zig, the one that would probably do alright for you is Dendrobium speciosum var. pedunculatum. It grows up in North Queensland and is a generally a little stubby species that doesn't get the long racemes like the ones further south. It is the one I have most success with here.

[tropicbreeze]

Pete, the ones my father had came from southern NSW. They were growing fairly exposed so got the average sort of Melbourne frost. Summer they did get a bit of sunburn, but that would have been a combination of the very dry air and clear bright sun.

The large pseudobulbs I brought home flowered and soon died off. They were replaced by much smaller ones. Those withered soon and were replaced by minute ones. Took about 3 years and there was nothing.

I checked out their distribution and hoped that some of the northern ones might be okay here. But even Cooktown is much further south than us and has a cooler, more humid climate.

Andrew, I think those might be the ones I found reference to but have never come across the plants. Wasn't sure if they'd do well here but thought it would be worth a try.