Dendrobium nobile

Native from Nepal through northern India to southern China and Indochina, this perennial orchid grows on tree trunks in mountain forests and on rocks in mountain valleys. Its fleshy, unbranched stems have swollen nodes that give them a jointed appearance. Leathery, oblong leaves grow alternately along the stems and have unevenly two-lobed tips. Short clusters of one to four flowers develop on older stems, before or after the leaves fall. The fragrant, waxy blooms are usually white to pale pink with purple tips. Their broad, velvety lips often have a deep maroon-purple central patch. Flowering commonly occurs from late winter into spring, and individual blooms may last several weeks. Numerous forms and hybrids are grown as ornamentals. Photographed in Armenia, Colombia.