# Dendrobium speciosum



## Babybloomer (Jan 4, 2021)

In August 2020 on my driveway.


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## Babybloomer (Jan 4, 2021)

A nice speciosum hybrid, Dendrobium Australian Artist plus a few more










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## DrLeslieEe (Jan 4, 2021)

That driveway speciosum is incredible! One plant?

How many flower spikes you reckon?

Outdoors near Sydney too. Guess it can tolerate the occasional frost/snow?


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## Babybloomer (Jan 4, 2021)

Actually a few plants planted at the same time, all the same cross. ' Mount Larcom Gold' x self. Tallest canes about 1metre. We are almost beach-side. Rarely gets below about 8C deg. Speciosum will handle down to 0 but any lower and it gets frost burn


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## DrLeslieEe (Jan 4, 2021)

Very impressive indeed.


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## SouthPark (Jan 4, 2021)

That is so wonderful, and spectacular. I think I can 'grow' that sort of orchid here in the tropics ....... but ..... unfortunately, would most likely never see them/it flower hahaha ........ as I hear they require a long period of cold ...... and/or repeated cycling of significant temperature drops ----- to initiate spiking activity, right?

I really like the various outcomes of Australian Artist a lot.


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## h_mossy (Jan 4, 2021)

Beautiful, and very eye-catching.
Tkx for sharing.


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## Djthomp28 (Jan 4, 2021)

Wonderingful!!


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## monocotman (Jan 5, 2021)

Amazing!


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## Ozpaph (Jan 5, 2021)

very well flowered


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## emydura (Jan 5, 2021)

Amazing display Richard. They all look to be butter yellow. Are none golden yellow like the parent?


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## emydura (Jan 5, 2021)

emydura said:


> That
> 
> Outdoors near Sydney too. Guess it can tolerate the occasional frost/snow?



Doesn't snow in Sydney very often.  You can get frost in western Sydney but speciosum can handle a light frost. This species can be naturally found all around Sydney and continues south into Victoria. It is called by some as the Sydney Rock Orchid.


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## Berthold (Jan 5, 2021)

My Dendrobium speciosum


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## DrLeslieEe (Jan 5, 2021)

Berthold said:


> My Dendrobium speciosum


Wow! Great specimen species!


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## Berthold (Jan 5, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Wow! Great specimen species!


It's not mine of course but its about my age. But I think the plant won't die soon, as BrucherT thinks of me.


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## Babybloomer (Jan 6, 2021)

emydura said:


> They all look to be butter yellow. Are none golden yellow like the parent?


Hi David, I think the work 'Gold' in the name of many of the wild collected clones is a bit of poetic license. When it was collected it probably was considered gold but not any more by today's standards


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## Guldal (Jan 6, 2021)

All very nice - and that speciosum in your drive way ought to be renamed as 'impressiosum'!


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## BrucherT (Jan 7, 2021)

Berthold said:


> It's not mine of course but its about my age. But I think the plant won't die soon, as BrucherT thinks of me.



Won’t be my fault. Maybe you’ll live longer if you start caring about polar bears.


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## Berthold (Jan 7, 2021)

BrucherT said:


> Maybe you’ll live longer if you start caring about polar bears.


No, I'd rather get into the drug business in Detroit, there is less chance of getting killed


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## Berthold (Jan 12, 2021)

Here my bonsai Dendrobium speciosum. It is a rare dwarf subspecies that is still completely unknown in Australia.
Mother, 
child


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## TyroneGenade (Jan 12, 2021)

Berthold said:


> Here my bonsai Dendrobium speciosum. It is a rare dwarf subspecies that is still completely unknown in Australia.



Do you know if this is available in the US? I have always want a speciosum but now that I have to grow indoors a monster plant is out of the question. I used to grow Delicatum outdoors in SA and it is remarkable how quickly these plants can become monsters.


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## DrLeslieEe (Jan 12, 2021)

Berthold said:


> Here my bonsai Dendrobium speciosum. It is a rare dwarf subspecies that is still completely unknown in Australia.
> Mother,
> child
> 
> ...


Very cute. 

Whats the origin (wild or bred) and are flowers miniature too? Other leave or color forms too?


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## Berthold (Jan 12, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Very cute.
> 
> Whats the origin (wild or bred) and are flowers miniature too? Other leave or color forms too?


Sorry i lied. It's just a young plant at the age of my granddaughter. She is 12 now.

Here is a somewhat older plant in my daughter's age.
This species grows very slowly about the same speed as us humans


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## DrLeslieEe (Jan 12, 2021)

Berthold said:


> Sorry i lied. It's just a young plant at the age of my granddaughter. She is 12 now.
> 
> Here is a somewhat older plant in my daughter's age.
> This species grows very slowly about the same speed as us humans
> ...


You got me!!! I had really wished for a bonsai speciosum lol.


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## Babybloomer (Jan 13, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> You got me!!! I had really wished for a bonsai speciosum lol.


There are basically about 6 or 7 geographical forms of speciosum although genetic analysis suggests only 2 subspecies at most. This comes from a website of Gerry Walsh better Know as the Rocklily Man.
This is his site, TheRockLilyMan – You've found the home page of Gerry Walsh 
full of great info and photos, including lots of in situ photos.


The most northern form var. pedunculatum and an inland for var blackdownense have small growths and are mature at a size similar to the one in Bertholt's first photo. These 2 grow in hot seasonally arid rocky outcrops that even cacti would struggle to survive on. Even the southern form, speciosum, often is found on rocky outcrops subject to heat, drought and bushfires. This is what makes them a challenge to grow in a cooler climate. I grow mine outside under 50% shade and don't water them in winter until they start to shrivel. The one on my driveway grow in full sun most of the day and have survived that in 48deg C. We get a few days each year in the 40-45degC. range and this does not cause any damage or leaf-burn to mature plants if they are acclimatized.

Speciosums are now being bred that have the short growths of blackdownense and the flower size, color and shape of the larger varieties


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## TyroneGenade (Jan 13, 2021)

Oo! I need a blackdownense! Thanks, BabyBloomer. Excellent site.


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## Babybloomer (Jan 14, 2021)

Berthold said:


> Sorry i lied. It's just a young plant at the age of my granddaughter. She is 12 now.
> 
> Here is a somewhat older plant in my daughter's age.
> This species grows very slowly about the same speed as us humans
> ...


This looks like the 'curvicaule' form from central Queensland coast


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## monocotman (Jan 14, 2021)

Great site and read, thanks!


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## Berthold (Jan 14, 2021)

Babybloomer said:


> This looks like the 'curvicaule' form from central Queensland coast



Unfortunately, the origin can no longer be determined.
It is an old present from the Leipzig botanical garden from the communist era before the fall of the iron curtain


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## Berthold (Mar 12, 2021)

My plant in this year, 32 years after fall of the iron curtain


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## Babybloomer (Sep 30, 2021)

Dendrobium speciosum 'Walsh's Gold'. Just finished flowering. This is a genuine dwarf grower, a cross between plant from the Blackdown Tableland and a grandiflorum. Flowering pseudobulbs are between 8-13cm and the flowers about 50mm


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## Babybloomer (Sep 30, 2021)

Another speciosum var. curvicaule 'Palm Mountain Giant' = 'Palmerston' x 'Misty Mountain'. Flowers up to 80mm


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## Babybloomer (Sep 30, 2021)

Dendrobium speciosum I/V 'Natstar Best 2004' = spec. 'National White' x var. curvicaule 'North Star'


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## TyroneGenade (Sep 30, 2021)

I am very envious of your Dendrobium speciosum 'Walsh's Gold'.


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## Greenpaph (Sep 30, 2021)

Just magnificent 
Wowso!


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## Brabantia (Oct 1, 2021)

Could you describe the growth cycle during a year for Dendrobium speciosum? Mine made a new bulb in spring and then nothing until now. 
I also observe that it easily makes aerial roots.
I live in the northern hemisphere in Europe. Should I understand that it grows in winter in Europe?
Many thanks in advance for your advice.


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## Ozpaph (Oct 1, 2021)

they are nice!


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## Babybloomer (Oct 2, 2021)

Brabantia said:


> Could you describe the growth cycle during a year for Dendrobium speciosum? Mine made a new bulb in spring and then nothing until now.
> I also observe that it easily makes aerial roots.
> I live in the northern hemisphere in Europe. Should I understand that it grows in winter in Europe?
> Many thanks in advance for your advice.


Hi. Typically new growth starts late spring till mid summer. Growth matures in autumn and rests over winter. Cool (down to 2 deg is ok) dry rest in winter. The more sun the better. Flowering starts late winter/spring


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## emydura (Oct 2, 2021)

TyroneGenade said:


> I am very envious of your Dendrobium speciosum 'Walsh's Gold'.



Me too. That is a ripper. Do you have the blackdownense form of this species?


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## emydura (Oct 2, 2021)

I find speciosum's can put out new growths at any time. Several of my plants put out new growths in the middle of this winter.


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## Babybloomer (Oct 6, 2021)

emydura said:


> Me too. That is a ripper. Do you have the blackdownense form of this species?


No unfortunately I don't have a straight blackdownense


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