Bulbophyllum baileyi

Fruit fly orchid

The fruit fly orchid is a clump-forming epiphyte or lithophyte of Cape York, north Queensland and southern New Guinea. It has curved yellowish pseudobulbs, single thick leaves and cream flowers spotted red or purple. Their fruity, zingerone-scented flowers attract male Bactrocera fruit flies as pollinators. It grows on trees, rocks and cliffs in mangroves, rainforest and open forest, often in exposed positions, so it takes brighter light than most Bulbophyllum.

At home, aim for

Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

Wikipedia records it in mangroves, rainforest and open forest, growing on trees, rocks and cliff faces in exposed positions and forming spreading clumps on creeping rhizomes. It was originally found on the trunks of Casuarina equisetifolia. Its thick leaves and exposed sites point to bright light and periodic drying.

Measured records run 11–1,050 m, with a median of 400 m (59 records), from coastal mangroves to the Atherton and Mount Windsor uplands.

Australia: Cape York Peninsula and Torres Strait Islands (Queensland)Australia: Wet Tropics, Cooktown to Townsville (Queensland)Papua New Guinea: southern lowlands (Western Province)

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.