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Species library › Bulbophyllum › Bulbophyllum wolfei
Orchids Well documented

Bulbophyllum wolfei

Fleshy snake orchid

The fleshy snake orchid is a small creeping epiphyte and lithophyte from the cool upland rainforests of far north Queensland. It has thin rhizomes, 4–9 mm oval pseudobulbs and thick dark green leaves. Single cream flowers boldly striped dark red appear from April to September. It has a tiny range at 900–1200 m, between the Mount Carbine Tableland and the Daintree, so it wants cool, misty, steady conditions rather than tropical heat.

At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Humid airBand in Plantistry
Light Dappled lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

It creeps over tree trunks, branches and rocks in upland rainforest. These high ranges are frequently in cloud, so the plant sits in cool, humid, moving air under a broken canopy.

Wikipedia gives 900–1200 m. The six records with an elevation span 940–1100 m, median 940 m, which agrees.

Far north Queensland (Mount Carbine Tableland to Daintree National Park)

🔒 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

Grow Bulbophyllum wolfei? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

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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.