Sunday, February 16, 2014

Dendrobium friedericksianum Rchb.f 1887, a lovely specimen plant in a show in Puerto Rico




This beautiful specimen plant was seen in the 2014 Ponce Orchid society show, Ponce, Puerto Rico.  I had a hybrid of this species  it grew well producing fat and healthy canes.  But every year it would produce only three to four flowers near the tip of the largest cane.  Disappointed with the plant poor performance I assumed it needed a cooler, more temperate climate.  I gave it away to a person that lived in a part of the island where temperatures were more moderate than in the hot coastal lowlands.  Even in the cooler part of the island, the plant didn’t bloom any better.    But as this specimen plant shows,  friedericksianum plants that can both grow and bloom very well in Puerto Rico.  This is the first plant of this species that I have ever seen in a local show.  This is variety suavissimum.

2 comments:

Philippe Christophe said...

Hi Ricardo,
This variety with two blotches at the throat are usually referred as D. friedericksianum var oculatum. In its biotope, this species grow well in hot climate. A light winter rest helps to bloom that occurs usually during spring.

Ricardo said...

Thanks for the input. I will check what the American Orchid Society judging system says about this plant.