Dendrobium speciosum

Sydney rock orchid

A large, tough eastern Australian orchid with thick canes and leathery leaves that forms huge colonies on sandstone boulders and cliffs, often in full sun, and also grows as an epiphyte. In late winter and spring it carries long sprays of fragrant white to yellow flowers. It needs strong light, a cool, drier winter and frost protection.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-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 rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Mainly lithophytic on sandstone and other rock faces, boulders and cliffs, where it can form spreading clumps metres across, often exposed to full sun. Some forms grow as epiphytes on rainforest trees, in more shaded positions.

Sea level to about 900 m. Only three records carry an elevation (53–890 m), so the measured elevations tell little.

QueenslandNew South WalesVictoria

🔒 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 tetragonum Dendrobium discolor 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 2.0 licence, unmodified.