Plants
Dendrobium Orchid
Dendrobium · Orchidaceae
Dendrobium is the second most important pot orchid in the trade after Phalaenopsis — and to many the more beautiful one: instead of a few large blooms it carries whole clusters of smaller flowers packed along upright canes. Two very different groups dominate the market, and it pays to know which one you have, because their care differs. We buy our dendrobiums in bud with the first flowers open at the Veiling Rhein-Maas, so the display lasts many weeks at home.
- Light
- Bright to very bright, no harsh midday sun behind glass.
- Watering
- Soak weekly and let it dry in between; keep nearly dry during the rest period.
- Care level
- Medium
- Botanical
- Dendrobium
The most important trade group is Dendrobium nobile, often sold under the name „Star Class“: the flowers sit densely along the knotted canes and carry a delicate scent. The second group is the Dendrobium-Phalaenopsis hybrids („Den-Phal“, Sa-Nook types), whose flowers stand on a stem above the foliage and look more like a Phalaenopsis.
The difference is more than cosmetic: nobile types come from the Himalayan foothills and need a cool, dry autumn rest at 10 to 15 degrees Celsius to set new buds. Den-Phal types are warm-house orchids that want room temperature all year and do not tolerate a cold spell.
Both groups like a bright spot without harsh midday sun, such as an east or west window. The canes are water reserves — so it is better to soak the pot thoroughly once and let it dry off than to trickle water constantly. Soft, room-temperature water prevents lime spots and root damage.
The most common mistake after flowering: cutting off the bare canes. They look unremarkable but are the plant's energy store, and on nobile types the old canes even produce new flowers and keiki plantlets. On a dendrobium, only truly shrivelled material is ever cut away.
As florists we also value dendrobium as a gift plant: it looks more lavish than a single Phalaenopsis, lasts especially long in cool rooms, and the nobile types bring a fine fragrance. In bright, unheated bedrooms or stairwells it often flowers six to eight weeks at a stretch.
If you want to keep the plant for years, move it to a semi-shaded, rain-sheltered spot outdoors in summer. The day-night temperature difference is the most reliable bloom trigger — more so than any special fertiliser.
Is Dendrobium Orchid toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
Like most orchids, dendrobium is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and people. Nibbled leaves may at most cause a mild upset stomach.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Place bright without direct midday sun — an east or west window is ideal.
- 02Soak weekly rather than watering; let the substrate dry off well in between.
- 03Use soft, room-temperature water, never cold water straight from the tap.
- 04Give nobile types a cool (10–15 °C), nearly dry rest of six to eight weeks in autumn — this triggers flowering.
- 05Do not cut off bare canes after flowering; they store energy and will sprout again.
- 06Repot only every two to three years into fresh, coarse orchid bark.
Frequently asked
- Is dendrobium toxic to cats?
- No, like almost all orchids dendrobium is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and people. If a cat nibbles the leaves, the worst outcome is a mild upset stomach — it is not dangerous.
- How long does a dendrobium orchid flower?
- In a cool, bright spot the display usually lasts six to eight weeks, in warm living rooms more like four to six. The purchase matters most: plants with plenty of closed buds flower much longer at home than fully open stock.
- What do I do with the bare canes after flowering?
- Leave them. The canes are the orchid's water and nutrient store, and on nobile types old canes can even produce new flowers and offshoots (keikis). Only completely shrivelled, brown canes are removed at the base.
- Why is my dendrobium not reflowering?
- With nobile types it is almost always the missing cool rest: six to eight weeks at 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, bright and nearly without water, ideally in autumn. Den-Phal hybrids need no cold spell but plenty of light and a clear day-night temperature difference. A summer outdoors in semi-shade helps both groups.