Dendrobium Smillieae

Dendrobium smillieae also known as the “bottlebrush orchid’ is an unusual species found in New Guinea and parts of tropical north Australia growing on tree limbs, trunks, and on rocks in lowland open forests near the edge of rainforests at elevations under 600 m. It is a large sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with up to 80 cm long pseudobulbs (also called canes) 15 – 18 cm long leaves. It blooms in the winter and spring on a densely, many flowered (100 or more) raceme that arises from near the apex of the leafless canes, carrying stiff, thick, waxy and fleshy, tubular flowers held in a ball.