Dendrophylax lindenii

Wish I could help, but I've killed about 5 of these things. You'd think I'd do well with it, since I'm about 10 miles from the Everglades. But nope.

 

I haven't grown these to blooming size yet, but it I have been growing seedlings for a number of years. I think they really are slow until they've built up considerable biomass, and in my experience this takes *forever*.

I decided a while ago that as long as my seedlings have root tips, I will wait patiently. Stressing over them didn't make me feel any better. It does help to be more forgiving of their sloth if one remembers that they do not have the luxury of huge solar panels (leaves!) to make food for themselves as other 'leafed' orchids do, so one can't blame them for taking so much longer to reach maturity than say, a hybrid Phalaenopsis!

Perhaps some growers on here who are successful at growing them faster can add their tips?

They do seem to dislike being in direct flow from a fan in a grow case.

For some reason Dendrophyla sallei, which is supposed to be very similar to D. lindenii, is a much easier grower for me.

 

Can we get a photo?

 

Oh one more thing, Brenda of Botanica Ltd. grows them pretty bright, and theirs bloom!

 

I have had a Dendrophylax for about a year. I thought I was going to lose it but it seems to be coming back slowly when I started giving it more light and less air movement. I am trying to grow it using the weather conditions of the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, FL where it grows. The winter temperatures are mid 50 nights and mid seventies days. The summer temperatures are 80 degree nights and 90+ degree days. It is very humid as it grows in the swamps on trees branches above knee deep standing water. My conditions are somewhat cooler in the winter and the summer low of 80 is not possible in my greenhouse. But I am up to the challenge. There are people in the bay area who have bloomed it so it is definitely worth trying.

 

It's great to hear Judy's input !

goods, I have bought D. sallei from both Andy's and Botanica Ltd.

 

Check Oak Hill for funalis. I got one from them last year. THAT one is growing like gangbusters.

 

Andy sold me a cute D. porrectus In February. Be sure to ask for it by its former name Harisella porrecta. Mature plants are the tiniest things - super minis!

I concur with Alexis. A healthy D. funalis grows like a weed (thankfully)!

 

goods,

Dendrophylax porrectus is doing great, it has two spikes forming at the moment. Just snapped these pictures quickly for you to see. It is a very tiny species!

 

D. porrectus grows rather prolifically in my area (central Florida) if you know where to look. Be mindful, it tends to have a built-in death wish like many other twig epiphytes. I have seen a few venerable old individuals in the wild, but I have also seen plants that seemed otherwise healthy suddenly expire.

Be sure to smell the tiny flowers at night when in bloom...they are amazingly fragrant for such teensy things.

---Prem

 

I got one from Alan Koch, Gold Country Orchids in February this year and it is doing good.