These beautiful orchids has always been held in high esteem by orchid growers throughout the world. They originating from Himalayas and southern India, through Malaysia, China and Japan, and also in parts of Northern Australia. There is currently an estimated over 1,500 species of Dendrobium orchids.
They are quite easy to grow in our Australian conditions - they store food and water in swollen stems that enable the plant to survive the dry season. Many varieties are deciduous, shedding their leaves after season's growth and remaining dormant during dry season, but at the start of spring they burst forth with new growth and flower buds.
The Dendrobium orchid in the picture is var Mousmee and one of the beautiful orchids in my collection. The plant is over 10 years old now and every spring it flowers with these delicate beautiful flowers. The flowers stay on the plant for about 10 days.
At flowering time the completely bare plant, looking like a cluster of dead canes, becomes transformed into this most beautiful display.
