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Orchidaceae
Noble Dendrobium
Dendrobium nobile
Strength of character and refined ambition.
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Genus
- Dendrobium
- Native to
- southern China, the Himalayas, Indochina
- Bloom season
- Winter, Spring
- Type
- epiphytic orchid
- Height
- 30–60 cm
- Sunlight
- bright filtered light
- Soil
- free-draining bark mix or mounted
- Water
- medium in growth, dry in winter rest
- Hardiness
- 9–11; houseplant elsewhere
- Lifespan
- long-lived perennial
Did you know
- The genus Dendrobium contains over 1,800 species, making it one of the largest orchid genera in the world.
- Dendrobium nobile is a key plant in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is called 'shi hu'.
- It needs a cool, dry winter rest of 6–8 weeks to trigger spring flowering — overwatering kills it.
- Each pseudobulb (cane) flowers only once, then becomes a 'back bulb' that supports new growth.
- Hong Kong's Tung Wah Orchid Show began as a Dendrobium nobile exhibition in the 1950s.
Color meanings
Pink
ardent affection
Purple
noble admiration
White
pure aspiration
Yellow
joyful renewal