Grammatophyllum speciosum, also called giant orchid, tiger orchid, sugar cane orchid or queen of the orchids, is a species of Grammatophyllum genus.
Grammatophyllum speciosum, also called giant orchid, tiger orchid, sugar cane orchid or queen of the orchids, is a species of Grammatophyllum genus. Several synonyms are known for this species such as Grammatophyllum fastuosum Lindl, Grammatophyllum giganteum Blume ex Rchb.f, Grammatophyllum macranthum (Wight) Rchb.f, Pattonia macrantha Wight.
Grammatophyllum speciosum orchid has a large to giant sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte and occasional lithophyte occuring in lowland forests near streams and rivers at elevations of 100 to 1200 meters in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Borneo, Java, Moluccas, the Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Bismark Islands, Papua and New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and is recorded to be the heaviest orchid in the world and is capable of becoming huge in cultivation.
IDENTIFY GRAMMATOPHYLLUM SPECIOSUM ORCHID
Grammatophyllum speciosum orchids have erect to spreading, very long, cylindric, yellowish with age, many ridged and noded pseudobulbs enveloped completely by leafless and leaf-bearing sheaths and carrying thin textured, distichous, linear or ovate, obtuse or acute, decurved in apical half leaves that are articulated to the basal leaf sheaths and blooms in the fall and early winter as well as in the summer and have a 4 to 10 foot (120 to 300 cm) long, basal, erect to arching, racemose, many flowered inflorescence that carry 30 to 50 sometimes fragrant, waxy, successively opening, long-lasting flowers with the lowest flowers being imperfect and distant.
This species has erect, spreading or drooping pseudobulbs that can be up to 3 meters long and leaves that go well up the stem giving them more of a palm tree look. Can be slow to bloom, plants need to be large and have a lot of backbulbs and even still the orchid can be sporadic, at best, to bloom. This species is often found in conjunction with ants and may benefit from their presence.
GROW AND CARE GRAMMATOPHYLLUM SPECIOSUM ORCHID
Cultivate: Grammatophyllum speciosum are best grown in a wire or wooden basket. The plant will grow at a height of 1.5-2.5m so the plant can not stand in the pot, and the strong rapid growing root system often breaks ordinary pots. The baskets allow free air flow over the roots, and eliminate over watering problems. The potting medium must be well-drained, i.e. coarse fir bark, lava rock, pieces of broken pottery, chunks of tree fern, hardwood charcoal, etc. so that the roots can be wet, but then dry quickly.
Watering: Grammatophyllum speciosum enjoy frequent watering. The frequency of watering is relative to the container, the temperature, air circulation, and the amount of water retained in medium in the container. Watering should be done, so the roots are approaching dryness, before rewatering.
Light: When they were discovered in the wild, they all lived on a dead tree, the sun was not covered. So when carrying the Grammatophyllum speciosum orchid, after the orchid grow well, then gradually practice the orchid familiar with the sun (ie gradually reduce the sun cover for orchids).
Temperature: The ideal annual temperature range for Grammatophyllum speciosum orchid are 15 to 25 °C. If the temperature is too low or too high, it will affect the growth and development of the plant.
Fertilizer: sometimes applied NPK 20-20-20 during the time of the plant is growing more pseudobulbs, sometimes add a little B1 to the roots grow stronger. It is better if you water the NPK for Grammatophyllum speciosum weekly.
This article provides some basic guidelines on how to grow Grammatophyllum speciosum orchid. Wish you have a nice healthy basket of this orchid species!
Do you cut the flower stalk when finished blooming
ReplyDeleteNo, I let's it fade
DeleteYou can also cut it
DeleteIf the stems (1m - 1.5m height) are yellowish green but do not have any leaves, do we cut these stems or leave them there? Are such stems considered dead?
ReplyDeleteMaybe the stems are dead, but i always let them there!
Delete