Not all miniature orchids have subtle flowers like yesterday’s Barbosella and Dendrobium cuthbertsonii is a species with large vibrant flowers.

This beautiful species is native to New Guinea where it grows as an epiphyte or lithophyte in mossy high mountain elfin forests. We find that the secret in cultivation is to replicate this habitat and so grow plant cool, wet and windy. We also find that plants prefer to grow mounted where their roots can establish on cork bark and plants can grow into impressive specimens.

Todays photo is a seedling we have had for around five years that is starting to give a good show while we have had plants in the past looking like this after ten years of good growing.

The species is bird pollinated and comes in a wide range of colours including red, orange, yellow and pink – like the plant below which was orchid of the day on July 7th and is still in full flower today.