Some years ago I brought a number of plants of what I thought were Dendrobium helix from several local vendors. When the plants bloomed they all turned out to be Dendrobium Alex McPherson. This hybrid is common in local collections and shows wide variability in the colors of the flowers. The plant I have range from mostly pink with coopery petals to almost all cooper color. The orientation of the petals is highly variable, even in a single inflorescence. The number of flowers in an inflorescence can go from relatively few to many densely packed flowers. I have found it easy to grow under my local climatic conditions. However the inflorescences are easily damaged by thrips. When the thrips are swarming, normally during the mango tree blooming season, the inflorescences of this hybrid are often attacked and severely damaged. During the rest of the year the flowers are long lived and stay in good conditions for several weeks. The flowers lose color as time go by and an old flower can be a pale picture of a recently opened flower.
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