Dendrobium speciosum blooming

[Tracy]

Dendrobium speciosum ssp pendunculatum... a very prolific bloomer!

[Hillizard]

3 hours ago, Tracy said:

Dendrobium speciosum ssp pendunculatum... a very prolific bloomer!

Very nice! Yours is a few weeks 'ahead' of my two Dendrobiums. Looks like we'll all have a good floral display from this species after a relatively mild winter. Mine are outdoors, with protection, year-round.

[Tracy]

7 hours ago, Hillizard said:

Looks like we'll all have a good floral display from this species after a relatively mild winter. Mine are outdoors, with protection, year-round.

Yes, last year's buds didn't like the frequent rains, as mine are outdoors exposed year round.  The brick planter is to it's west, so they do get some afternoon shade, but mostly full sun through mid-day.  My ssp curviculata is probably about a week behind, but only one inflorescence instead of the many this ssp pendunculatum has.  I got both from Andy's Orchids a couple of years ago and am still figuring out the balance of water and holding back water on them to get them to bloom best.

[Gonzer]

Here's  one from work

[Cindy Adair]

Stunning! Thanks!

[Tracy]

The other subspecies, Dendrobium speciosum ssp curviculata is now in bloom, first shown alone, and then in the background of the ssp pendunculatum now that more of the penduclatum buds have opened.

[CB Lisa]

Great job on growing and blooming these! What a spectacular orchid! Can’t wait for my itty bitty babies to grow up and hopefully some day look like yours!  

[Tracy]

On 3/12/2018 at 8:09 PM, Tracy said:

Dendrobium speciosum ssp curviculata

Ooops.... Its about time I corrected that name, it is actually Dendrobium speciosum ssp curvicaule.  No one caught my blatant error.  One of the nice things about these Dendrobium speciosum variations and ssp is that they all seem to rebloom from old pseudobulbs.  Looks like I'll have a nice display from these two in a couple of months based on all the inflo stems pushing up!

[Tracy]

At some point I need to plant these little guys up too.  There are a couple of ssp grandiflora as well as one each of the penduculatum and ssp curvicaule

[Tracy]

I didn't realize or remember that these can push out 2 or sometimes even 3 inflorescence from the same pseudo-bulb.  Dendrobium speciosum var pedunculatum and Dendrobium speciosum var curvicaule .  The var  curvicaule has the longer stems while var pedunculatum has the short almost dwarf pseudo-bulb stems.

[Tracy]

On 3/9/2018 at 4:13 PM, Gonzer said:

Here's  one from work

Do you know which variation this one is?  It appears to have large flowers which leads me to guess perhaps it is Dendrobium speciosum var. grandiflora.  I haven't seen them bloom anywhere and mine are still not to blooming size yet.  I don't recall ever seeing any of Andy's grandiflora blooming yet either.  Whichever variation, it looks like something I need to get for my yard!  Beautiful!!  I guess the follow up question is whether any of these are for sale or if they are part of Pam's personal collection?

[epiphyte]

Might be Dendrobium speciosum hillii

[Gonzer]

On 2/3/2021 at 5:49 PM, Tracy said:

Do you know which variation this one is?  It appears to have large flowers which leads me to guess perhaps it is Dendrobium speciosum var. grandiflora.  I haven't seen them bloom anywhere and mine are still not to blooming size yet.  I don't recall ever seeing any of Andy's grandiflora blooming yet either.  Whichever variation, it looks like something I need to get for my yard!  Beautiful!!  I guess the follow up question is whether any of these are for sale or if they are part of Pam's personal collection?

Tracy, stop by and ask Pam.

[Tracy]

While not a true Australian Dendrobium speciosum, this Dendrobium moorei from Lord Howe Island is a cooler growing cousin.  This one is at the tail end of its blooming period but still retains some fragrance.

[Tracy]

Three more Australian Dendrobiums getting ready to open their buds for Spring:

Dendrobium gracilicaule

Dendrobium falcorostrum (largest flower buds)

Dendrobium jonesii (largest canes/pseudobulbs)

Its going to be a Dendrobium explosion shortly when all my Aussie Dendrob babies open up!

[Hillizard]

Looking forward to a good show from my Dendrobium speciosum (unknown variety) in a few more weeks. I leave it outdoors year-round in the shade of my pergola.

[Tracy]

40 minutes ago, Hillizard said:

Looking forward to a good show from my Dendrobium speciosum (unknown variety)

 

On 2/3/2021 at 5:41 PM, Tracy said:

The var  curvicaule has the longer stems while var pedunculatum has the short almost dwarf pseudo-bulb stems.

Check out your pseudo-bulbs:

variation or ssp curvicaule description from Andy's Orchids:  Magnificent robust plants, 7" to 40" pseudobulbs topped by 2 or 3 round and leathery 5" leaves, multiple 15" racemes each carry up to 45 white spidery 2" flowers, purple markings on the white lip, extremely fragrant and an impressive spring display

Dendrobium speciosum ssp pedunculatum description from Andy's Orchids:  This variety is a magnificent, compact, robust plant, 4" to 7" pseudobulbs topped by 2 or 3 round and leathery 5" leaves, multiple 18" racemes each carry many white spidery 2" flowers on the upper half, purple markings on the white lip, extremely fragrant and an impressive display

While ssp grandiflora will have more yellow color to the flowers.  Neither of my ssp grandiflora are blooming size yet.

[Tracy]

On 3/3/2021 at 9:22 AM, Tracy said:

Dendrobium jonesii (largest canes/pseudobulbs)

Flowers opened and they are fragrant too boot.

[Tracy]

The Dendrobium speciosums hit full bloom over this last week. 

Photo 1 Dendrobium speciosum ssp curvicaule

Photo 2 Dendrobium speciosum ssp pendunculatum 

[Tracy]

Meanwhile the smaller Australian Dendrobium gracilicaule (macropus) was finally opening its miniature flowers over the weekend.

[Tracy]

And an unknown Dendrobium which started on a piece of driftwood and has migrated onto an adjacent rock has flowers in bloom as well.

[Gonzer]

9 hours ago, Tracy said:

And an unknown Dendrobium which started on a piece of driftwood and has migrated onto an adjacent rock has flowers in bloom as well.

Tracy, if you wanted to grow that species successfully in the ground what are their cultural needs and what kinda soil prep?

Edited March 25, 2021 by Gonzer

[Tracy]

6 hours ago, Gonzer said:

Tracy, if you wanted to grow that species successfully in the ground what are their cultural needs and what kinda soil prep?

Good question and I don't know the answer.  I don't remember where I got this particular Dendrobium nor do I recall if it was a loose cutting or in a pot when I got it, but I have had it at least 8 years that I found in old photos.  What I would try is something like what I did, which is growing in on a piece of wood attached with fishing line and some sphagnum moss and then let the roots either go in the ground or attach to a rock if you put the wood on rock.  I have always had this one growing in spots with only a limited direct sunlight (3-4 hours max in summer of am sun).  I have a similar one that is a hybrid and has pink flowers that was potted in a small bark and perlite mix so I would presume that if one were to try it in the ground this would be the appropriate mix. 

[Gonzer]

4 hours ago, Tracy said:

Good question and I don't know the answer.  I don't remember where I got this particular Dendrobium nor do I recall if it was a loose cutting or in a pot when I got it, but I have had it at least 8 years that I found in old photos.  What I would try is something like what I did, which is growing in on a piece of wood attached with fishing line and some sphagnum moss and then let the roots either go in the ground or attach to a rock if you put the wood on rock.  I have always had this one growing in spots with only a limited direct sunlight (3-4 hours max in summer of am sun).  I have a similar one that is a hybrid and has pink flowers that was potted in a small bark and perlite mix so I would presume that if one were to try it in the ground this would be the appropriate mix. 

Gracias bro.

[Stevetoad]

23 hours ago, Tracy said:

And an unknown Dendrobium which started on a piece of driftwood and has migrated onto an adjacent rock has flowers in bloom as well.

I think this is one I have too. the flowers have a nice smell to them. mine has been growing happily on my jacaranda for about 8 years. I divided it a few times. the ones I put in pots don't do as well and produce keikis where the original plant on the tree does fantastic but never makes keikis. 

[Tracy]

When it comes to orchids, I sometimes wonder how various species are grouped into a genus because the variation can be so great.  Take for example another species of Dendrobium from Australia, not to be confused with Dendrobium speciosum and its many subspecies.  Here is a Dendrobium pugioniforme, which grows more like a Hoya than most Dendrobium's with large psuedobulbs or reedy stems.  While mine is growing as an epiphyte, I have read that in habitat they can also grow as lithophytes.  A friend who was growing this species brought it to my attention last year, so I thought I would give it a try.  These are my first blooms, and it did fine through summer and winter outside.  I'm looking forward to the foliage continuing to grow and keeping the mount up high so I can appreciate the it's pendulous growth habit.

[Stevetoad]

super cool. the way orchids grow is as interesting to me as the flowers

 

[Tracy]

21 hours ago, Stevetoad said:

super cool. the way orchids grow is as interesting to me as the flowers

Agreed.  I have been guilty of acquiring some orchids not for the flower but for other attributes like a bulging or colorful pseudobulb or in this case the Hoya-esque growth of Dendrobium pugioniforme.

[Tracy]

I think this is my last Australian Dendrobium to bloom this spring.  It is Dendrobium jonesii (rupppianum).  Photo bombed by the last blooms on my Dendrobium falcostratum in the second photo.

[Stevetoad]

Same same? There’s an epidendrum growing in there too  

 

[Tracy]

In the Northern Hemisphere, these Dendrobium speciosum pendulatum, curvicaule and grandiflora, normally bloom in the early Spring;  so mid March and sometimes even in late Winter such as early March as can be seen in the string above.  The growth season continues through summer.  Over the last month, I have seen the attempts at new flower buds on all three subspecies.  Thus far I have never seen a second blooming in late summer since I have been growing these.  I'm curious if anyone else has experienced a second bloom season with these?