Dendrobium purpureum

Also known as: The Purple Dendrobium or Pedilonum wolterianum Dendrobium purpureum h.f. album Dendrobium purpureum ssp. candidulum Dendrobium purpureum ssp. purpureum Chromatotriccum wolterianum Callista purpurea Dendrobium wolterianum in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Fiji Vanuatu

General Information

The Purple Dendrobium is a sympodial cool to warm growing epiphytic orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Fiji and Vanuatu.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 20-150cm. Each new growth has numerous lance shaped leaves that grow to 7-14cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 50-110cm. The plant forms pendant or arching growths

Substrate(s)

• Coarse

Care Notes

This orchid goes into a dormancy phase during winter, during this phase it is best not to provide water unless the plant is starting to look thirsty. The lack of water increases the chance of flowering in spring, and also reduces the likelihood of any rot forming. Do not resume watering until new growth has appeared and is growing strongly.

Often a period of intense growth occurs after dormancy. During this time the amount of light, water and fertiliser the plant receives will directly impact the amount of growth that occurs during this time, and in the case of seedlings, will reduce the time required to reach maturity.

It's recommended to heavily reduce the water amount at the middle to end of autumn to trigger dormancy. Leaves on older bulbs will begin to drop during this time while the newer bulbs continue to mature until terminal leaves appear at the tip of the pseudobulbs.

Repotting can be done any time of the year though it's best to do it in early spring when new growth is appearing as this also means new roots will appear to help the plant anchor into the new media and offset any damage to established roots during the repotting process.

 

Climate

Grows at low to high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 203mm to 297mm per day, heaviest in October and lightest in March. Humidity ranges from 76% to 82%, highest in December and lowest in April. Temperature ranges from 20C to 28C, highest in June (21C to 28C) and lowest in January (20C to 26C).

Watering

These orchids prefer a constant supply of moisture, with a slight drying out between waterings. Saucers can be placed under pots to retain moisture during hot weather, however the saucers should be removed or let to dry every 1-2 weeks to prevent rot. Keep an eye on the plant especially in hot weather and look for cues of under/overwatering and adjust accordingly.

Fertiliser

dormant-medium-demand-orchid Use balanced fertiliser year round. Apply fertiliser regularly at half strength year round.

Potting

These plants are quite forgiving and will do well repotted ever 2-3 years. The mix should be coarse, well draining, and allow space for air to move and for roots to grow. 

Alternatively, these plants will also do well mounted to tree fern or cork slabs, or mounted to trees.

Best time for repotting or mounting the orchids is the end of winter when new growths start to appear. Avoid repotting during hot weather,

This plant does well mounted. Repotting is best done in a pot the same size or only slightly larger than the previous one.