# Dendrobium superbiens



## Rick (Jul 21, 2011)

I got this division at our summer society auction in May. I wasn't expecting to do much this year since it was so ratty looking, and dropped most of its leaves right off the bat. The leaves were pretty pale green/yellow too, so I gave it some epsom salts.

Looking at the leaves now, you'd think this plant was virused.



But I think the plant was so depleted, its only getting a patchy induction of nutrients.
Its getting a few new growths now that look normal.




It's also getting a couple spikes and the flowers are just opening up.





Its a pretty flower, and in prime form, it will produce gobs of spikes and hundreds of flowers.

I found an Australian conservation plan document listing the species as "vulnerable" primarily due to habitat destruction (in Queensland). So maybe I should self it and make some more.


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## Ernie (Jul 21, 2011)

Looks like serious mite chompage to me.


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## jjkOC (Jul 22, 2011)

Beautiful velvety color of the flowers!


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## paphioboy (Jul 22, 2011)

how unusual. The 'virused' leaves look like my smilliae when it had a severe scale infestation. Yours doesn't seem to be case though. Superbiens is nice plant, worth growing to specimen size..


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## koshki (Jul 22, 2011)

The blooms look like they're made of silk ribbons! Lovely! It's nice to see a distressed plant brought back to health. :clap:

Will this continue to bloom on old canes?


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## Rick (Jul 22, 2011)

koshki said:


> The blooms look like they're made of silk ribbons! Lovely! It's nice to see a distressed plant brought back to health. :clap:
> 
> Will this continue to bloom on old canes?



These spikes are on previously bloomed canes that have lost most of their leaves. Not sure though if this species in general will keep blooming on canes long after all the leaves have dropped.


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## Rick (Jul 22, 2011)

Ernie said:


> Looks like serious mite chompage to me.



That or scale, I agree, but the leaves where solid pale lime green when I first got the plant, and it didn't have any bugs. About 80% of the leaves on the old growths have dropped leaving only the youngest leaves at the end of the canes.

Pretty weird.


There are two new growths, and both look really good in comparison.


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## koshki (Jul 22, 2011)

I just tried looking this species up in OrchidWiz, and it doesn't have any cultural information listed. How tall is your plant?


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## Rick (Jul 22, 2011)

koshki said:


> I just tried looking this species up in OrchidWiz, and it doesn't have any cultural information listed. How tall is your plant?



Its sitting on a milk crate and comes up past my waste. About 3 ft tall.

I saw some pics on google that look like giant 6 ft tall specimen plants.


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## koshki (Jul 22, 2011)

Ah, well that settles that! I'll just have to enjoy the pictures of yours then!


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## biothanasis (Jul 23, 2011)

Very nice colour!


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