🇮🇳 Habitat and Ecology
Dendrobium lituiflorum (the Trumpet-Shaped Flower Dendrobium) is a medium-sized, pendent, deciduous epiphyte native to Southeast Asia. Its wide distribution spans the Eastern Himalayas, India (Assam, Meghalaya), Nepal, Bangladesh, China (Yunnan), Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. It grows on trees in deciduous to semi-evergreen forests in the hills, typically at elevations between 300 and 1,200 metres. This orchid is adapted to a monsoon climate with a hot, wet growing season followed by a cool, bright, and strictly dry winter rest period, which is mandatory for flower induction.
🌸 Description and Distinguishing Features
This orchid is a sympodial perennial known for its elegant, slender canes and vibrant blooms.
 * Pseudobulbs & Foliage: It produces long, slender, pendent, cane-like pseudobulbs (up to 60 cm long) that are often purplish-brown. The leaves are thin, deciduous (shedding annually), and borne along the stem.
 * Flowers: The spectacular flowers are produced in short, lateral clusters (racemes) from the nodes of the leafless canes in late winter to early spring. The blooms are medium-sized (3-5 cm wide).
 * Aesthetics: The flowers are typically rose-purple, vibrant magenta, or dark lavender. The segments are narrow, and the lip (labellum) is a prominent feature: it is trumpet-shaped (funnel-shaped) and a contrasting dark purple or purplish-black in the throat with a white margin. The flowers are fragrant.
 * Ethnobotany: The stems of Dendrobium species from this region are used in traditional medicine (such as Shi Hu in Chinese medicine) as a tonic, often valued for their mucilaginous properties and perceived ability to promote general wellness.
 * Differentiation: D. lituiflorum is distinguished from similar species in the section Dendrobium by its unique flower shape and size:
   * Versus D. nobile: D. nobile has much larger canes, broader leaves, and its flowers have a large, conspicuous dark blotch on the lip, whereas D. lituiflorum has a consistently coloured dark trumpet-shaped throat.
   * Versus D. anosmum: D. anosmum (Hono Hono Orchid) has massive, much longer canes and larger, less intensely coloured flowers that are usually less densely packed.
💧 Cultivation and Care
Dendrobium lituiflorum is a warm-to-intermediate growing orchid that demands a strict seasonal dry rest to bloom.
 * Light: Requires bright, high, filtered light. Maximum exposure to winter sun (when leafless) is crucial for flower bud setting.
 * Substrate: Best grown mounted on cork bark or potted in a coarse, fast-draining medium (bark and charcoal).
 * Watering: Water heavily during the growing season (spring/summer). Enforce a cool, bright, and strictly dry winter rest (from late autumn until buds appear); only mist sparingly if canes shrivel excessively.
 * Temperature:
   * Optimal Daytime Temperature (Growing Season): 25-30 C (77-86 F).
   * Optimal Nighttime Temperature (Winter Rest): A cool drop is necessary, ideally 10-14 C (50-57 F).
 * Humidity: High humidity (60-80%) is preferred during active growth, alongside strong air circulation.
✨ Unique Features
This orchid is highly sought after for its vibrant, jewel-toned magenta flowers that bloom dramatically from the bare, pendent canes. The trumpet-shaped, dark purple lip provides a striking contrast, and the necessary cool, dry winter rest makes achieving its spectacular floral display a satisfying annual challenge for the intermediate grower.
🏷️ Specifications
Plant Size: young plants 2-3 years away from flowering, canes 15-20 cm
Plant Family: Orchidaceae
Plant Passport: A Dendrobium lituiflorum B 140084 C [buyer to use number of the plant label] D GB