Stinking Bulbophyllum Bulbophyllum appendiculatum
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Cirrhopetalum appendiculatum
- Mastigion appendiculatum
- Phonetic Spelling
- bul-boh-FIL-lum a-pen-dik-yoo-LAY-tum
- Description
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Old World Orchid is a small epiphytic orchid in the Orchidaceae family native to the Himalayan mountains and to parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The common name stinking bulbophyllum refers to the unpleasant scent of the flower.
Old World Orchid needs high humidity, good drainage and air circulations, and indirect light to light shade to thrive. It should be kept moist with 3 to 5 waterings a week and soil that lightly dries between watering. The plant is also temperature sensitive requiring a range of 60 to 88 degrees F.
The showy orchid flowers appear on stems with 1 to 4 blooms most of the year. The leaf is a large glossy oval.
This plant can be grown in a pot or mounted to tree fern or cork slabs or mounted to trees as a houseplant in NC.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Bulbophyllum
- Species:
- appendiculatum
- Family:
- Orchidaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Bulb
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern Himalaya to Assam
- Distribution:
- Northeastern India and Sikkim
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Epiphyte
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Houseplant
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- High
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Solitary
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Lipped
- Flower Size:
- 3-6 inches
- Flower Description:
- One to four showy 5 inch flowers, pink with purple veins that have a musky, unpleasant fragrance, but you have to be up close to smell it. Blooms throughout the year.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Fleshy
- Glossy
- Leathery
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Single leathery leaf is large, 3 1/2 to 6 inches long.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Hanging Baskets
- Houseplants
- Design Feature:
- Accent
