Dendrobium violaceum

Here is another Dendrobium from the wonderful Oxyglossum section and from New Guinea, the home of most of the species in that section.  The Oxyglossum Dendrobiums are notable for their small size and their colorful and long-lived flowers.  It is not uncommon that the flowers of these plants last for six months.

This species can be quite large, up to 35 cm, but my plant is only about 20 cm.  The flowers which are a little less than 3 cm tall, can vary widely in color, from pink to deep violet, and are very long lasting.  The plants do best in cool temperatures, high humidity and high light.