This is a small to medium sized epiphyte from Asia. It is a pretty fast grower and produces 4-5 new bulbs per growing season for me. But supposedly it really prefers much warmer temperatures and higher humidity than what I offer it in my intermediary growing window. So although it blooms for me every year, it probably would do better cultivated in a warm vivarium or greenhouse. That’s ok by me, it is too large for my warm viv so it will have to make due where it is. Usually the flower blooms out in a nice fan shape, but this one looks a little shaken up… The flowers usually last about one week, but it can produce several flowers from the same bulb. No scent, but the flowers excrete some sort of liquid making it look quite delicious and the color is lovely.
Bulbophyllum pulchellum
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About the Author: Karma
Karma is a digital nomad graphic artist and writer, orchid nerd and long-distance hiker from Gothenburg, Sweden. Former editor-in-chief for the Swedish Orchid Society magazine, published internationally and held lectures on orchid culture.
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great Bulbophyllum =)
your, blog is the best point to make evening exciting, you grow the best orchids I have seen so far. Keep posting!
Thanks!! 🙂 I know, the color is intense.
I really love Bulbophyllum, but something stops me….I just start with Bulbophyllum echinolabium, but I have not enough space to keep some of them because my collection is focus just on Phalaenopsis, some Cattleya and Paphiopedilums. Anyway I want you know something about me: I’m 24 years old and I study botanic at University, and now I’m working on wild and endemic orchids on my island. This passion influences my collection infact even if I grow some hybrids(just 5)they are not part of the collection, but not because I don’t appreciate them, but because I really love Nature’s work through the time, so I decided to give to my collection that line: just species. I have not so many time to dedicate to the websites, and even if I’m on orchidboard.com and other international sites I constant just on orchidando.net -an italian orchid site-. So it’s time I show some of my orchids: (broken links)
I thank you, and sorry for my english.. I know it’s not the best =(
Thanks for writing Lina. It is very nice to hear that you like my blog! 🙂
Hi Mike! What a nice introduction, thanks, and your English is excellent by the way. 🙂 Unfortunately only logged in members on the Italian forum can see your photos, but if you have a Flickr account or similar you can share photos there. I do not have very many Bulbophyllum either. Even though I really like them actually, many of the flowers are so strange (some are even a little scary) and beautiful at the same time – attributes I like. But my focus is primarily on cool growing Pleurothallids, so many other really great genera sometimes do not get the attention they deserve from me… but that is ok, plenty of other people focus on Bulbophyllum. I share another one of your favorites too though, I am really quite fond of Paphiopedilum. It was the first orchid I fell in love with, so I guess I am a bit sentimental about it. I am definitely a bit of a species snob too, although I do like many of the crazy colorful Vandaceous man made creations, as well as many Paphiopedilum primary hybrids.
I noticed you mention your love for Pleurothallis. Last week I got restrepioides in my orchid society auction. And I have no clue what to do with it as the info I get to read contradicts. Should I treat it as Masdevallia or give it some other different attention. The plant looks like it is developing flowers, I keep it quite wet and give medium light. What u think?
Ah, Pleurothallis restrepioides, what a nice species. 🙂 I do not grow this particular species myself, but from reading about it I would do just as you say – treat is as a Masdevallia. Since it is found in wet montane forests it should prefer even moisture, medium light, good air circulation, I also recommend about 10 degree (C) diurnal temperature difference if you can. I know it can be confusing when you read that it is a cool to warm grower. But basically what it means is that since it grows at a rather wide altitude span, from 800 to 2900 meters, it grows both in warmer as well as cooler climate in nature. So it is pretty safe to say that it should be tolerant to a wider temperature spectrum than some other species.
thanks that’s a very thorough answer, will see if I finally make it flower although I can’t provide such low temps as I grow on a sill.
Great information 🙂
Thank you! 🙂