D is for …

Let’s start with a double-D! Here in Tauranga we don’t have many problems growing the Australian Dendrobiums, sometimes known as short-cane Dendrobiums. This group now also includes the plants formerly known as Dockrillias, which was established as a genus only in 1981.

Dockrilla-type Dendrobiums are found in eastern Australia with some in New Guinea and through the Pacific and are notable for their ‘pencil’ foliage, essentially long, green tubes rather than flat leaves. The plants generally grow as pendulous specimens and can attain great lengths – 2m is nothing special!

Dendrobium teretifolium var. aureum (syn. Dendrobium dolichophyllum). Photo: Sandra Simpson

Bill Liddy of Napier with his Dendrobium Jiggi, Champion Australasian Native Orchid at the 2019 National Orchid Expo. Photo: Sandra Simpson

Dendrobium is a genus of about 1200 species, which are native to Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. They either grow on trees (epiphytes) or on rocks (lithophytes). 

Most people start with the easy-growing Dendrobium kingianum. Australian grower Brian Milligan notes that, thanks to breeding, we now have kingianum plants that bear strong, upright racemes of larger, more colourful flowers than the bush-growing original. Colours range from all white through white with purple lips (sometimes referred to as variety Silcockii), white with pink stripes to all shades of pink up to purplish red. Some cultivars carry two or even three racemes per cane, and up to 10 flowers per raceme, making spectacular specimen plants at maturity. Read more about growing Australian Dendrobiums.

Dendrobium Berry x (Aussie Hero x Yondi), a plant with kingianum in its background. Photo: Sandra Simpson

The Dendrobium family is so large and varied that it could manage a whole entry by itself – soft-cane plants, etc – but we’re moving on …

Dendrochilum orchids are fround throughout South East Asia, Taiwan and New Guinea, mostly growing at elevations about 1,000m (so, although they’re from ‘hot’ countries, they’re (mostly) growing in cooler climates).

Dendrochilum tenellum in flower is a magnificent sight when grown as a large specimen. And easy to see why it’s also known as the grass orchid. Photo: Sandra Simpson

Dendrochilum orchids all have slightly raceme-type flowers (pendulous) but the plants themselves don’t take up much room in your collection. Keep them happy and they’re flower in profusion. Thanks to its red flowers, Dendrochilum wenzelii stands out from its cousins, which mostly have white and yellow flowers.

Dendrochilum wenzelii is a warmer-growing member of this family. Photo: Sandra Simpson

Dendrochilum glumaceum has flowers with a scent something like hay. Photo: Sandra Simpson