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WSBEorchids

365 days of orchids – day 625 – Dendrochilum magnum

This magnum is ‘magnum’ in many ways as it is our largest growing and largest flowered dendrochilum species. Ed shown here for scale has just counted the flowers at 1920 on 48 spikes, and they are all really fragrant. The smell has been described by visitors as ‘lovely’, ‘horrible’ and ‘weird’ reflecting its rather odd and hard to pin down fragrance that visitors have likened to ‘bakery spice’, ‘Easter’, ‘Shaving foam’, ‘toilet cleaner’, ‘old female teachers with too much stuff on’ or best of all ‘bubbles’ by a visiting seven year old. The only way for you to find out is to buy one for yourself!

Interestingly the flowers come out green and over a few days change to a golden yellow.

The species is native to the Philippines where it grows in mossy forest from 1600 to 2000m and we find it appreciates heavy watering throughout the year and it enjoys conditions in our Warm Asia section although it would grow cooler. It grows quickly into a sizeable plant and is a really rewarding species to grow.

 

 

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  1. Agnes Jones says:

    Until yesterday I did not realise just how much thought and effort Simon puts into photographing ‘ orchid of the day.’ It actually takes a long time to get a perfect photo with good lighting, the flowers in focus, contrasting against the black backdrop and then writing all about the orchid. He does this as well as a working full time teacher and running the greenhouses. Endless dedication. You are a star Simon!

    II think this orchid has a beautiful scent which subtly fills the greenhouse, reminding me of cassia oil used in easter cooking. It looks good too especially modled by Edward. An exploding firework against a night sky.