Dendrobium senile

Dendrobium senile

Dendrobium senile, also known as The White-Haired Dendrobium or Old Man Orchid,** is a unique species within the Dendrobium genus. It was first described in 1865 by botanists C.S.P. Parish and Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach.

Dendrobium senile is native to Southeast Asia, specifically found in Laos, the Tenasserim region of Myanmar, and both the Ranong area on the Thai peninsula and northern and eastern Thailand. These orchids thrive at altitudes of 500 to 1200 meters above sea level.

Dendrobium senile: Care and Growth
This miniature, epiphytic orchid prefers warm to cool environments and typically grows to a size of 9-22 cm. It features semi-upright to reclining, hairy pseudobulbs that resemble succulent plants, ranging from 5 to 15 cm in length. The leaves are ovate-lanceolate, alternate, and semi-deciduous, measuring 4-5 cm in length. Each plant typically has 2 to 6 leaves.

Flowering and Fragrance
The White-Haired Dendrobium blooms during spring and summer. It produces fragrant flowers, 4-6 cm in diameter, on short inflorescences that emerge from the upper nodes of both leafed and leafless canes. The flowers are notable for their striking coloration, with sharp-tipped petals in shades of lemon or butter-yellow. The lip of the flower is broad and spatulate, with green spots on either side of the orange-yellow shield and red striations deep in the throat. The flowers exude a lemony scent and last for 3-4 weeks.