Phalaenopsis gigantea

The largest Phalaenopsis, a Bornean endemic with pendent, silvery-green leaves that can exceed 50 cm, and dense sprays of waxy, citrus-scented cream flowers spotted in maroon. It grows as an epiphyte in hot, humid lowland forest from sea level to about 400 m, and it wants more light and more warmth than most moth orchids. It is rare in the wild and slow to reach flowering size.

At home, aim for

Day Warm-growingTargets 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

An epiphyte in warm, humid lowland forest. The very short stem carries 5–6 large, fleshy, pendent leaves, so the plant hangs from its host. It is rare, and it has not been found again at some earlier collecting sites.

Literature gives 0–400 m. The single measured site carries no elevation.

Borneo (Malaysia: Sabah, Sarawak; Indonesia: Kalimantan)

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

Start free Sign in

More Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis amboinensis Phalaenopsis equestris Phalaenopsis amabilis Phalaenopsis aphrodite Phalaenopsis lobbii Phalaenopsis schilleriana Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana Phalaenopsis stuartiana Phalaenopsis hieroglyphica Phalaenopsis rimestadiana Phalaenopsis venosa Phalaenopsis maculata All 99 →

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