Dendrobium macrophyllum

large-leaved dendrobium, pastor's orchid

A robust epiphytic orchid of section Latouria, with club-shaped pseudobulbs topped by two or three large, broad leaves. It has long spikes of hairy, yellow-green flowers. It ranges from Java and the Philippines through New Guinea to Fiji and Samoa, mostly in warm lowland and hill forest, so it wants warmth, bright light, high humidity and steady moisture.

Dendrobium macrophyllum — Photo: Orchi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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

No rest periodGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

It grows on trunks and branches of trees in lowland and hill rainforest, forest edges and more open coastal and secondary forest, often fairly high in the canopy where light is bright. The published sources say little about its microhabitat; the placement here follows its large, tough leaves and the habits of related Latouria dendrobiums.

Records range from near sea level to about 1,560 m, with a median of about 575 m.

New Guinea and the Bismarck ArchipelagoIndonesia: Java, Sulawesi, Maluku, Lesser Sunda IslandsBorneo and the PhilippinesSolomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, SamoaCaroline Islands (Palau)

🔒 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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More Dendrobium

Dendrobium bigibbum Dendrobium nobile Dendrobium phalaenopsis Dendrobium kingianum Dendrobium canaliculatum Dendrobium moniliforme Dendrobium bracteosum Dendrobium unicum Dendrobium regium Dendrobium taurinum Dendrobium speciosum Dendrobium tetragonum All 1696 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.