Dendrobium Hibiki Orchids
Dendrobium Hibiki is a primary hybrid between 2 New Guinea species and was registered in 2009. The parents are Dendrobium bracteosum and Dendrobium laevifolium. No information is given on what colour of flower for each species was used. Both species can be quite variable in colour.
I have not seen a photograph of Dendrobium Hibiki that is different in colour to those of the flowers on this plant.
Dendrobium bracteosum heralds from the warm lowlands of the north coast of New Guinea.
It prefers high humidity and strong light conditions. The flowers are very long lasting and can last for up to 6 months. Another advantage of this species is that it can be constantly in flower.
The pseudobulbs grow to around 30cm long.
Dendrobium laevifolium occurs in the east of New Guinea through the islands to Vanuatu. It brings to the cross fewer but larger flowers and a preference for intermediate to cooler temperature growing conditions. It also decreases the size of the resulting cross as Dendrobium laevifolium is considered a miniature. This species requires a drier period over winter and flowers in the summer.
The Dendrobium Hibiki I have was purchased 14 months ago as a seedling. I have not repotted it from the original mix, being a layer of coarse perlite on the bottom with a layer of sphagnum moss on
top. It’s ability to weather cooler temperatures is demonstrated by it’s growing through last winter in a bush-house that experienced lows of 1 degree, has 50% shade-cloth cover and no protection from rain – though I don’t think I had any rain through winter last year!!! It sits against the western side of the bush-house and receives the afternoon sun.
This is it’s first major flowering and it flowers on leafless pseudobulbs. It has a good flower count per spike due to Dendrobium bracteosum and the flowers appear to last about 2-3 months though this plant has travelled some 1100km in the past month. So in any event the flowers do hold up well. As the plant matures I expect it will open out more. The pseudobulbs I expect to lengthen to 15cm, the plant will not be so bunched and crowded and the flowers will present better.
Currently there is only one registered cross using Dendrobium Hibiki. This is Dendrobium Sakurako which is Dendrobium Hibiki x bracteosum. It was registered in 2018.
Author: Don