Den speciosum

Gene

Dave has given you some good advice. I had drafted this message before Dave posted his so there may be some overlap.

There are several varieties or species of D. speciosum (depending on which authority you listen too) and they can be quite different in size depending on where in the distribution range they come from.

Their growing conditions also vary depending on where they originate from. There distribution is from Far North Queensland down to the NSW/Victorian border so have a climate distribution from tropical to temperate.

The ones from FNQ would experience a dry winter and the ones from the Southern areas would experience a wetter winter. We just had floods a couple of weeks ago in the area near the NSW/VIC coastal border so it can get quite wet during the southern winter. The secret is to grow these in a well draining medium or mounted, bearing in mind that many grow lithophytically in nature with just leaf humus around the roots. They are very cold tolerant and I have mine outdoors all year round. Temperatures get down to about 3°C over winter on some days.

The size of the canes can also vary from about 30cm (1 foot) to over a meter (39 inches +) depending on the species/variety.

I have mine mounted together with a stag fern and attached to a brick wall under a jacaranda tree (deciduous) so it gets shaded during the heat of summer but gets full sun during winter. The roots have now attached themselves to the bricks so not sure if this plant will ever be moved again. The stag keeps the roots moist and cooler during the hot summers and makes a lovely companion plant. (see photo on ABPO). My plant has got to be well over 30 years old as I bought it as a mature plant that many years ago. The flower spikes are just showing now (mid winter - looks like a good year as we had some really cold days which seem to stimulate flower production) and usually flower late September (early Spring).

At the ANOS club meetings, people joke about waiting at least 15 years for seedlings of D. speciosum to flower so not many over 60 year olds buy seedlings. They want to be alive to see them flower! If yours is in a 6 inch pot I would suggest you have a few more years before you see flowers. Good luck with your plant of this majestic Australian native. in time, you will be rewarded with a magnificent display.

~John

Not good, not good. I have a couple of flasks worth of plants of Den speciosum X Den Ira Butler that I was hoping to start seeing flowers on this winter. They already are the largest plants in my Den section. Sounds like it might be a few more years; more repotting and larger pots. My question is just how cold do they need to get to set spikes. I am growing them in a greenhouse which does not go below 62 F. The kingianum and its hybrids bloom fine in this greenhouse. I have a couple of flasks of Den speciosum X Den Ivory in 3 inch pots and am wondering if I should cut and run. There is always room for one more plant in the compost pile.

Pat

Thanks all,

I guess I'll just have to be patient. I think the var. I have is curvicaule.

Pat, pot them up and sell them. There's alway a sucker like me that thinks he grow them out and wait for the blooms!

Good Growing, Gene

Rod Venger gave me a seedling many moons ago. It's in a basket, hung up with the vandas, and growing bigger by the 'bulb (they're at 18"-20" now), but still no flowers.

Does anyone know what's become of the Venger's? I remember them fondly and often wonder how they are.

What works for me is to put a blue tag in the pot to indicate "do not water". Then I group all the dry stuff together on the same shelf. That group seems to be growing with the nobiles, catesetums, cycnoches, etc.

Gene

Knowing not to do it is not the problem. Having the time to spend on "individuals" is.