Dendrobium helix

The Jacksonville Orchid Society's orchid show was this weekend and I found a few new plants to add to my collection. This is an antelope style dendrobium from the section Spatulata. A species that is very hard to find and that have a few different varieties out there, but I was very please with this color and the form of the flower. Flowering at any time of the year, in hot to medium climates, this plant should do very well in N.E. Florida's weather. As always, it does need to go into the GH during winter and not be exposed to temperatures lower than 55'F.

A large to giant sized, hot growing epiphyte from New Guinea on exposed branches of lowland coastal forest trees at elevations of sea level to 150 meters with clustered, swollen basally, tapering apically, yellow orange stems carrying many, elliptic to ovate-elliptic leaves that diminish in size towards the apex and blooms at most any time of the year on a to 20" [50 cm] long, erect, ascending or horizontal racemose, axillary, laxly, many [15 to 20] flowered inflorescence with nodding, stiff, fleshy flowers, that arises from the leaf sheaths at the apex of the upper leaf nodes of mature leafed canes. In the winter months water and fertilizer can be slightly reduced allowing the plant to dry out between waterings and should be resumed when new growth is initiated. (Per IOSPE website. www.orchidspecies.com)