# Some Dendrobium speciosum



## emydura (Jan 11, 2011)

Been meaning to post these for some time. Finally got round to it. Here are some of Dendrobium speciosum that flowered last year.

David


First flowering seedling - "The King" x "Windermere". A grandiflorum form crossed with a speciosum. Pretty happy with this. Big golden yellow flowers.













Dendrobium speciosum var grandiflorum "Kroombit Tops". The first few times I flowered this plant the flowers were small and cream coloured. Awful. This time big starry golden yellow flowers which is what it should be like. This species can be so variable in flowering from year to year.












Just an ordinary bush collected plant I think. Still white flowers always look nice.






Dendrobium "Clarie" x "Yondie". Real nice form this one. It won Champion native orchid at one spring show.






Dendrobium speciosum 'Royal Purple' x 'The King'. Pretty ordinary really.






Dendrobium speciosum "Pristine White". Paid a fortune for this plant. It is not even white. "Not happy Jan".













Dendrobium speciosum "National White" x self. Pretty ordinary. Not a patch on "National White" itself.


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## JeanLux (Jan 11, 2011)

Om.., you have a quite impressive series of speciosums; look great, all, but pers. I favour the white bloomers!!!! Jean


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## Bolero (Jan 11, 2011)

They all look great! Pretty spectacular even though I am not a huge fan of Den's.

;-)


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## paphioboy (Jan 11, 2011)

Your speciosums are out late, David... Isn't it nearly summer now..? Those yellows sure are deep.. Look almost like Avril's Gold..


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## biothanasis (Jan 11, 2011)

Spectacular!!!!


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## TyroneGenade (Jan 11, 2011)

Any seed pods on those yellow ones? oke: What about the white? We have a perfect speciosum climate here.


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## nikv (Jan 11, 2011)

Love all of them!


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## Erythrone (Jan 11, 2011)

Impressive!


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## NYEric (Jan 11, 2011)

paphioboy said:


> Your speciosums are out late, David... Isn't it nearly summer now..? Those yellows sure are deep.. Look almost like Avril's Gold..


it says last year. oke:
Thanx for the fotos. Are they fragrant?


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## W. Beetus (Jan 11, 2011)

Those are all quite nice! I like the first yellow best.


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## emydura (Jan 11, 2011)

JeanLux said:


> Om.., you have a quite impressive series of speciosums; look great, all, but pers. I favour the white bloomers!!!! Jean



Thanks. I'm partial to the white ones myself. To see a large "National White" in full flower is a sight to behold. The large golden grandiflorums are special as well.



TyroneGenade said:


> Any seed pods on those yellow ones? oke: What about the white? We have a perfect speciosum climate here.



No, I didn't do any crosses. These things are too slow to flower. Worse than multi-floral Paphs. 



NYEric said:


> it says last year. oke:
> Thanx for the fotos. Are they fragrant?



Yes, pretty fragrant. I put them in the glasshouse when they are in bud (middle of winter) from where they quickly develop. When they are open, the glasshouse is full of perfume.



paphioboy said:


> Your speciosums are out late, David... Isn't it nearly summer now..? Those yellows sure are deep.. Look almost like Avril's Gold..



As Eric said they flowered last year. A bit slack in posting them. Yes, that first one will look really nice when the plant matures. The plant was tiny when it flowered.

David


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## SlipperFan (Jan 11, 2011)

What beauties! I think the Australian Dendrobiums are among the most beautiful of flowers.


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## Brian Monk (Jan 11, 2011)

WOW!!! I love this species, and all of its hybrids. I have several smaller plants, and they are growing very well for me in S. FLorida. I haven't flowered them yet, hey are very small. Any culture tips?


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## emydura (Jan 12, 2011)

Brian Monk said:


> WOW!!! I love this species, and all of its hybrids. I have several smaller plants, and they are growing very well for me in S. FLorida. I haven't flowered them yet, hey are very small. Any culture tips?



Thanks Brian. It is a pretty straight forward group to grow. A lot easier than Paphs. In order to flower well they need very bright light (direct sunshine). I keep them shaded from the hot afternoon summer sun but give them direct morning sun. In winter you can give them sun all day. In winter I greatly reduce watering to once a month or so (we have freezing winters here). In summer give plenty of water and lots of fertiliser. They love to be fed while they are growing.

I assume Florida is very warm all year around so it will be interesting to see how easy they are to flower for you. I'm not sure how important a cold spell is to initiate flowering. May depend on the form of speciosum. 

I've seen speciousm growing in the harshest conditions imaginable. Full sun on large rocks (which would dry out very quickly) next to the ocean where it would cop regular salt sprays. Few plants of any type would survive there. But there is speciosum growing and flowering away. It is one tough species. 

David


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## TyroneGenade (Jan 12, 2011)

emydura said:


> No, I didn't do any crosses. These things are too slow to flower. Worse than multi-floral Paphs.


 I'm young so I can wait for them to flower. If you ever do some crosses please keep me in mind. The ones over here seem somewhere in between the bright yellow and the white. I would love bright yellow ones like what you have!

Kind regards


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## NYEric (Jan 12, 2011)

I have a bunch of kingianum/speciosum hybrids. THis time I put them outside to cool down as instructed, now I'm going to start watering them and put them into the warm bright house, I hope they come out as nice as yours.


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## emydura (Jan 12, 2011)

TyroneGenade said:


> I'm young so I can wait for them to flower. If you ever do some crosses please keep me in mind. The ones over here seem somewhere in between the bright yellow and the white. I would love bright yellow ones like what you have!
> 
> Kind regards



Tyrone - if you want the bright yellow/golden ones than I think you are best to try for the grandiflorum variety. These generally, but not always, have very large golden yellow flowers. The flowers can be a bit bow-legged though.

I noticed DUNO Orchids had one small flask of grandiflorum. Mt Larcom Gold is a nice clone.

2648 D. spec. grandi. Phena’s Gold’ x grandi Mt. Larcom ‘Gold’ 1 ONLY 10 plant FLASK @ $45.00

http://www.duno.com.au/Species-Den--and--Dockrillia-Catalog.php

If you asked around I'm sure there would be more.

David


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## Brian Monk (Jan 12, 2011)

David - 

I have heard that plants are very relctant to self. Is this true?


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## TyroneGenade (Jan 13, 2011)

emydura said:


> http://www.duno.com.au/Species-Den--and--Dockrillia-Catalog.php



Now why did you have to go do that? I'm going to be browsing that site for hours... and probably going to end up spending a lot of money.


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## NYEric (Jan 13, 2011)

Enabled!


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## etex (Jan 13, 2011)

Excellent collection of blooms! Love them all!!


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## emydura (Jan 13, 2011)

Brian Monk said:


> David -
> 
> I have heard that plants are very relctant to self. Is this true?



I can't say I have heard that Brian which doesn't mean it isn't true. One of the photos I posted was of a selfing of "National White" which I have a few of and which is a fairly common cross. Just a quick google of speciosum selfings throws up a few examples so it mustn't be that hard.




TyroneGenade said:


> Now why did you have to go do that? I'm going to be browsing that site for hours... and probably going to end up spending a lot of money.



Excellent. oke: Here are a few more Australian native orchid nurseries. I don't know if they export or sell flasks. You would need to enquire.

http://www.tinoneeorchids.com/catalogue1.html

http://www.cedarvaleorchids.com/catalogue/cedarvale.pdf

http://www.woolforchidculture.com/

http://www.australianorchids.com.au/

David


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## goldenrose (Jan 14, 2011)

Bolero said:


> They all look great! Pretty spectacular even though I am not a huge fan of Den's.
> ;-)


me neither but I am now! :drool::drool::drool:


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## Pete (Jan 16, 2011)

wow. awesome plants


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