An interesting and wonderful Aussie native, these orchids are intriguing in plant and name. Widely accepted as Dockrillias, but also known as Dendrobiums, they occur in Australia and New Guinea. They look spectacular when mounted on boards where their thickened leaves can hang down like a veil (indeed they are often called the Bridal Veil Orchids). A mixed collection of species and hybrids will reward with flowers all year round.
Author: orchidup
Fragrant Chains
This beautiful Chain Orchid is Dendrochilum macranthum ‘Suwada’. Originating in the Philippines, it is a large growing orchid producing long chains of creamy yellow flowers that can easily reach 25cm. The magic of this plant is the fragrance – on a warm afternoon, the shadehouse fills with a buttery, vanilla scent. Simply stunning.
King Spider Orchid
Brassia orchids are commonly called Spider Orchids and Brassia Rex is undoubtedly the king of the spider orchids. A primary hybrid between Brassia verrucosa and B. gireoudiana, Rex has large, showy, spider like flowers. This variety ‘Orchidup’ has a distinctly yellow/ green colour and the flowers are very robust. Too big and awkward to capture in a single shot, the flower measured 32cm from top to bottom (specimens in excess of 40cm are commonly recorded). This variety is uber-vigouros! Divisions of this plant have been dispersed amongst friends and still we have dozens of pots – all from one lowly seedling purchased about 10 years ago.
Aussie Dendrobium on Parade
The colours in this beautiful Australian Dendrobium are simply gorgeous. There is a good flower count on what is quite a small plant. An unregistered hybrid, it runs with the name of (Jamie Upton x Tweed) ‘Stupid Orange’ x Aussie Parade ‘Carrot Splash’. There are more of this cross due to flower, so we eagerly await to see what colours will arise.
Wildcat
Colmanara Wildcat is a great winter warmer with its fiery red and yellow tones. The lustrous quality of the petals make it shine through the gloom of a rainy day. An older variety but robust and very desirable.
Looking Back
Orchids are grown for their superb and showy flowers but on some occasions, if you look “behind the scenes” you can find beauty of a different nature. This is the back view of Dendrobium Microchip – an outstanding miniature orchid. Whilst the front is very pleasing, the back has these delightful maroon speckles. A cool growing orchid from Papua New Guinean heritage, the really outstanding feature of this plant is the longevity of the flowers. These flowers have been going for nearly 3 months and aside from a bit of weather damage, they look like they will continue their show for a good while yet. Keep an eye out for these plants as their ease of growth, compact nature and long flowering period will make them extremely popular in the future.
Miltoniopsis Robert Jackson ‘Wild Thing’
On a warm summers day, we would rather be at the beach than in the shadehouse, but then we might miss the chance of seeing these beauties. The miltoniopsis (or Pansy orchids) flower mainly over summer and in to autumn. A mature plant such as this is absolutely spectacular with a fragrance like a rose. They are regarded as a bit difficult to grow but we seem to have the right climate to suit their needs. They are kept outdoors all year round in the same conditions as our Pleurothallids (quite cool and lots of water all year round). Finding them in Australia is not easy though, so last year we hunted down a breeder in Hawaii who supplies to a company in Holland and we have imported some of these well travelled plants as tissue cultures. In a few years, we hope to have hundreds of these plants in flower – but here’s hoping we still get time to spend at the beach!
Our shadehouse is always full of wonderful, exotic orchids so it is easy to forget that some of the most beautiful orchids are growing in the wilderness at our doorstep. This is Jackson’s Sun Orchid (Thelymitra jacksonii) which is a rare, native, terrestrial species. Named in honour of a local amateur orchid-ologist, the late Bill Jackson, it is one of the last (and more spectacular) of the Sun Orchids to flower in Western Australia. These orchids are aptly named “Sun Orchids” due to the fact that they usually only open on sunny days.
We are actively involved with the study, conservation and understanding of our native orchid species and this is one of our “adopted” orchids. We are in the midst of surveying for this flower and so far this season, have found only 29 plants (which is a slight increase on last year).
Family Tree
When it comes to charm it is hard to go past this beautiful hybrid – Wilsonara Kolibri. It produces masses of 2-3 cm blooms which are intricately painted with pink and purple splashes.
Wilsonara is an artificial genus (also known as a nothogenus – from the greek notho meaning bastard!) and has been created by hybridising plants from the genera Cochlioda, Odontoglossum and Oncidium. By using plants from different genera you can incorporate the best of colour, shape and size to create such masterpieces as seen here.
This hybrid was registered in 1984 in Germany and the epithet (Kolibri) is German for hummingbird – perhaps a reference to the way these dainty little flowers float gracefully in the breeze.
Small Packages
They say that good things come in small packages and nothing could be more true when it comes to the Small Flowered Chain Orchid, Dendrochilum parvulum, a true miniature with flowers that are only 5mm across. Although the white flowers are only small, they are produce in masses. This individual plant is in an 80mm pot and has produced in excess of 75 spikes with an average of 15 flowers per spike – that is over 1100 flowers on a plant that could fit in a teacup!
Not content to just look good, it also has a divine scent that is reminiscent of jonquils but without the overpowering harshness. A true harbinger of spring.
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