Thursday, May 13, 2010

Orchid waterfall

Dendrobium pierardii planted on a horizontal branch makes a waterfall of blooms!  This orchid is cold-hardy to the mid 20° F range, deciduous, and pendulous.  Since they are leafless in the spring when the blooms appear, there is no foliage to obscure the mass of blooms.

























The flowers are lightly fragrant and when the sun shines through the petals, they sparkle!  The yellow lip is slightly fuzzy.
Dendrobium pierardii is a natural epiphyte and thrives when planted along with other epiphytic plants. Here's one growing with Resurrection fern.
They require no care whatsoever once they are attached to the branch.  A single staple holds small plants steady until rooted.  The roots run along furrows in the bark and gather nutrients from decomposing leaves and other debris falling out of the tree.  New green shoots grow from the base of the plant in spring and will produce flowers a year later. 
Each year they grow larger and more beautiful! This specimen has been growing unattended for more than 20 years!
Another four years of growth since the above photo was taken for this original post and here's what it looks like:
I had to stand back much farther to get the whole thing in the photo!

8 comments:

Ami said...

Wow, where did you find this beauty? I would like to have one attached on MY tree! I think I just saw it in Maimi Fairchild Botanic garden attaching on a giant live oak tree.

Nic said...

Beautiful! Makes me wish, once again, that I lived in warmer climes...

The Bama Gardener said...

beautiful! Thanks for the blotanical welcome! I do have a pretty talented hubby!

africanaussie said...

What a beautiful specimen, I think I have this one, and only had about 5 flowers on it last year - I cant wait for mine to look like yours.

lostlandscape (James) said...

Very cool! I love how it cascades off the branch. I finally am succeeding with some epiphytes outdoors now that I put mister nozzles on timers near the plants--I could never remember to water them otherwise.

Unknown said...

wow, I want one so bad! but there is one problem, we don't have a tree yet...not even one...do they grow in Sydney? they should, it is humid enough and not too cold...

Unknown said...

Those orchids are amazing! I love your picture on your header. Wonderful. Aren't plants incredible! I am visiting from Blotanical. Happy Gardening, Meg

Steve Asbell said...

That is one amazing orchid, and one I'll have to find if it can take those temps. are there any others that you know of capable of central florida winters?