About
Known as the noble dendrobium, *Dendrobium nobile* is a highly ornamental orchid prized by hobbyists for its fragrant, waxy blooms, which typically appear in winter and spring when few other plants are flowering. It is also the state flower of Sikkim, India.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant is sympodial and forms pseudobulbs, with new shoots arising from the base. It has strap-shaped, persistent leaves and produces short, 2 to 4-flowered racemes. The flowers are highly variable in color, ranging from white to pink and purple.
Distribution & habitat
Native to southern China (including Tibet), the Himalayas (India, Bangladesh, Assam, Nepal, Bhutan), and Indochina (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam). It is found in lowland and mountain forests, often on mossy limestone rocks.
Cultivation notes
It is a tender plant that requires USDA hardiness zones 11 and above to survive winter. It is popular as a decorative house plant due to its colorful blooms during the winter and spring months.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Thailand, Myanmar, India, Vietnam, China
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate