Dendrobium Dawn Maree

The Dawn Maree flowers has been around since 26-May though a couple of the bunch has faded. Good news is that I have seen more buds on 2 more canes.


According to the RHS database, this hybrid is registered in 1983 by Burrows and it’s parents are Den. formosum & Den. cruentum. Both parents belong to the Formosae section of the Dendrobium family. There are some 30 species in this section distributed from India through SEA to Sumatra, Philippines and Borneo. This family is characterized by small little hairs a found on sheaths on the canes. Flowers of this section are predominating white and are long lasting.

Depending on the species, orchid flowers will last from 1 day to several months. However, all flowers will wilt if the pollens were dislodged either by rough handling or by an insect. Flowers are the reproductive organs of the plant and their main function is not for humans to admire but to attract pollinators that will help to transmit the genes of the flowers they visit. Hopefully, there are genes exchanges with different plants so as to increase the gene pool and have better chance to exchange and replace defective genes and produce new plants that have more vitality. So whenever the pollens are dislodged, the flower sensed that it has done its job in giving out its genes and the plant shuts it down perhaps to conserve energy so as not to spend energy maintaining a spent flower. In fact the urge to propagate is so strong that the plant will “force” flower if it becomes stressed or it sensed that it’s survival is threatened in the hope to have it’s genes transmitted.

The Renanthera flowers bloomed but they were quite badly affected by thrips. I always had been struggling with thrips which ravage most of the flowers causing the buds to drop prematurely. Been trying to reduce the use of chemicals…..

Other “new” blooms are:
• Mokara Saraya Red (says label at Orchidville when I bought them but couldn’t find it’s listing in RHS database)
• Cycmode Wine Delight
• Den. Hybrid (minature type)
• Onc. Golden Anniversary

New spikes seen:
• Den. secundum alba.
• Rhyncovanda Colmarie (same plant listed before but additional spike :))
• Another Mokara Saraya Red

BTW, it’s NOG guided tour times again this coming Saturday 19-Aug. Do come by. Volunteer guides will be there at 4 time slots - 9am, 10am, 11am and 4pm providing tours for visitors. Regular entrance fees to the NOG apply but the guiding is free. Each tour is about 1 to 1.5 hours.

I'm back

It’s being a while since the last entry. Had spent the last week of April in TTSH followed by surgery in mid-June to fix the problem. I’m glad I can finally put the unpleasant episode away for good.

Back to my orchids; as many one of my orchid buddy would say, orchids thrive on a little neglect and people sometimes kill them with TLC. Most of the plants seems to be doing well during the period I was not well. Some of the monopodials in the “dry” spot of the automatic watering system seems dehydrated but others seemed the do pretty well and even started spiking.

These are the plants in bloom today in my garden:
• Den. Dawn Maree (since March)
• Cym. finlaysonium (first time since a buddy gave me the plant)
• V. lamelatta (2 plants)
• Equitant Oncidium Hybrids (4 plants with multiple spikes each)
• Onc. Goldiana
• Hawkesara Lavoe Barst Puanami (since end April)

As most of the plants in bloom are past their prime, I’ll post their pictures the next time they bloom again.

The following are spiking:
• Onc. Golden Anniversary
• Ren. Ikwas (2 plants)
• Ren. Hybrid
• Mokara Saraya Red
• Mokara Zaleha Alsogoff
• Mokara Chark Kuan (3 spikes)
• Rhyncovanda Colmarie
• Den. hybrid (4 plants)
• Cycnodes Wine Delight (3 plants)

I’m really happy to see the Mokaras and Renanthera flowering again. These plants stopped flowering since I re-potted them one and half years ago and some had starting flowering in May and I am beginning to see more now. What a relief.

I have added a link to The Singapore Garden Festival on the right. This will be held in December from 16th to the 25th at Suntec City. NParks and OSSEA jointly organize the show. It’ll occupy both 4th and 6th floor. This is the inaugural show and the Organizers planned to do this every 2 years. Garden and Landscape designs by Top renown designers from UK, Australia, US and Japan will be on display on the 6th floor. 4th floor will be occupied by OSSEA who is holding their Orchid Show. Tickets will be on sale at all SISTIC outlets and at SBG Visitor center. I was told that tickets from SBG would not have the admin fee that SISTIC charges. Click on the link for more information on the garden festival.

Cycnodes Wine Delight

Cycnodes Wine Delight is a hybrid registered by Fuchs Jr. in 1/1/1980. Its parents are Cycnoches lehmanii and Mormodes sinuata. They are also called “Swan Orchids” as the flowers when looked at from the sides resembles a figure of a swan.

Cycnodes Wine Delight produces a wonderful fragrant in the morning only. This is because in their native land, a male bee, which uses the fragrance to manufacture pheromones, is only active in the morning collecting the fragrance. It’s amazing how the relationship between plant and bee develop and evolve. I was wondering will over time because there is no bee to collect the fragrance, will the plant eventually stop producing fragrance??

Cycnoches is a genus with about 60 species. They are natives from tropical America. This is a sympodial genus. This genus as a whole has long slender psuedobulbs, which looked like cigars and has have thin, veined deciduous leaves with an inflorescence that starts from the bottom nodes. Unlike most orchids, this genus produces unisexual flowers. I came across an article saying the light levels during bud development determines the sex of the flower but I couldn’t recall if brighter lights gives male flowers or the reverse. The male flowers have a longer column with a spring loaded pollina.

Some books I read advise growers to actually take the plant out of the pot and cut away all the roots and then place the psuedobulb in a dry lighted area until the new growth is visible. It is then potted up and the new lead is allowed to grow to 2-3" before application of water and fertilizer resumes. If watering starts too early, there is a tendency to loose the plant and the new growth rots easily. After that heavy feeding will ensure big strong psuedobulbs and sometimes my plants with big psuedobulbs will develop a second inflorescence before the plant goes to sleep.

Encyclia cordigera

I’ve 2 Encyclia cordigera plants and both of them are in season now. One of them is actually in bloom. The flowers has a slight fragrance detected only at close quarters.

This species can be found naturally in Mexico, Central America, Columbia & Venezuela. It a sympodial with a walnut sized oval psuedobulb and flowers will grow from the top of a mature psuedobulb. A healthy plant can produce up to 15 long lasting flowers.

My plant is grown in a 5 inch pot with crushed tree fern bark as medium. A book “100 Orchids for the American Gardener” (available from National Library) recommends to mount this plant on bark instead. The key is to give sufficient moisture to ensure that the psuedobulbs do not shrivel up and good circulation around the plant. The book also recommends 50% shade. Mine is hung at the edge of a planter rack with shade cloth and I am sure they are accustomed to more light.

The genus Encyclia has approximately 242 species and are natives of Mexico, West Indies, Central and South America. Some of the species were classified under the genus Epidendrum in the pass and in fact, Encyclia cordigera was known as Epidendrum atropurpureum. The flowers of this genus are mostly honey brown, cream, yellow and rose shades. Many species produces fragrant flowers. Encyclia fragrans is one such plant which can be seen in the Orchidarium section of the National Orchid Garden.

Dendrobium Hoshimusume

Dendrobium Hoshimusume = Den. Oriental Paradise x Den. Otohime.
Registered by Yamamoto in 1/1/1977 according to records in RHS.

I bought this plant 3 years ago and never put much hope that it will re-flower as it is of the cool growing nobile type dendrobium. For the past 3 years it just grow leaves and keikis. I was very surprised when I found 3 buds and yesterday they bloomed. Though it was just 1 plant with 3 flowers, it has given me hope that perhaps if I did the right thing more there will be more flowers.

So, I went to do some research and found that it likes bright lights and should be given a dry spell during "winter". The book also advise to water and fertilize freely during active growing phase. This is very similar to the Den. anosmum! So, other that temperature, I could supply the other conditions if I grow them like the anosmum. Well, if this can flower, I shall re-arrange the plants and shall hope to see more flowers next season.

Rhyncostylis gigantea

I have 2 out of 4 Rhyncostylis gigantea in bloom now. The flower spikes of the other 2 somehow stop developing after about 2cm. They were probably victims to aphids or thrips 2-3 months ago when I was occupied elsewhere. I bought them in January 2004 and they bloom again in January last year. The 2 in bloom in fact they were late this year and perhaps this is what saves the flowers. I have tried on occasions to cut back the use of pesticides but each with disastrous results. My next-door neighbor who planted a wall of “greens” also engaged a contractor to maintain their plants and will perform fogging weekly.





The Rhyncostylis gigantea I own has 2 flower varieties - one purple with white markings and the other mostly white with dark pink spots. Both are fragrant and can throw multiple spikes at the same time.

This genus has only 4 species. They are commonly used in hybridization to produce desirable characteristics in hybrids. They can be found from India to Southeast Asia to the Philippines. This genus differs from Vandas by the one-lobed lip. They prefer some shade instead of direct sun. It is a monopodial genus with leathery leaves and fragrant flowers. Being monopodial means that they need uniform watering and consistent feeding application to do well.

I have read that they prefer wood slat basket culture with little or no potting material but I have mine in a pot with Sphagnum moss. This is just the condition when I bought them 2 years ago. The pots are hung under shade cloth in a planter rack that I bought specially for my orchids.

Oncidium Golden Anniversary

Oncidium Golden Anniversary is a hybrid registered in January 1979 by Corbet. It’s parents are Oncidium spacelatum and Oncidium Sarcatum. This plant produces sprays up to a meter in length with multiple branches. Flowers are slightly bigger but lesser in quantity than the “Golden Shower” commonly seen at super-marts or florists in Singapore. It seems that the size and quantity are inversely proportional. Several plants come to mind which produces lesser but larger flowers compared to their cousins – Cattleya (bi- vs uni-foliate) and Phaleanopsis. The flowers lasts for about a month.

Oncidiums are sympodial and future flowering will depend on the success of new growths to maturity. They are believed to be the third most commonly cultivated orchid genus after Cattleya and Dendrobiums.

Oncidiums are commonly referred to as “Dancing Ladies” because the flowers resemble a figure of a lady swirling on the dance floor. Their flowers are mostly yellow & brown combination. This genus comprised of approximately 600 species. They are natives of South and Central America.

They are considered easy orchids to grow. Grow them in bright lights but out of direct mid-day sun to avoid scorching of their leaves. Water well year round but let media dry between watering. Fertilize lightly and consistently throughout. The ones commonly available here can flower year round as soon as the pseudobulbs mature. Ensure good air circulation.

Dendrobium anosmum

Dendrobium anosmum flowers produces a wonderfully sweet fragrance which is described as “raspberry jam” by Peter O'Byrne in his book A to Z of South East Asian Orchid Species.

I have the purple variety. This plant also has a version, which has white sepals and petals and a purple throat. The white ones can be found in the orchidarium of the NOG at Singapore Botanic Gardens.

This plant is native to Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. This plant is deciduous and the ones in my garden blooms once a year between February to April. I would consider this plant easy to grow and does well in my garden. It is best mounted on fern bark or just a slab of wood so that there is no need to worry about supporting the long slender canes and they look wonderful hanging down. The canes would loose their leaves just before setting buds. The flowers generally last about 2 weeks to 3 weeks tops. Shortly after flowering, new growths are seen at the base on the mounts or sometimes keikis are seen along the canes as well.

Books I read has advised to cut back watering from October to give it a dry spell and induce bud setting. Resume normal watering and fertilizing after flowers have faded and when new growths are seen at the base of the plant. The new growths will become long slender canes up to a meter in length if well taken care of. They will bear between 8 – 10 flowers in the next season.