New home for a Tea Tree Orchid
Author & Photo: Ishara Udawela, Townsville Branch
Published: Journal December 2022
I take no credit in growing fickle fussy orchids that die when you look at them sideways. So, when I was gifted a Dendrobium canaliculatum, I was careful not to get too attached as I wrapped it in some bark fallen from a Swamp Melaleuca and stuck it on the east side of an ornamental fruit tree.
I had no Tea Tree in the yard so wrapping the orchid in said bark was my attempt to make it feel as close to home as possible. I was also wondering whether there’s some symbiotic relationship with microorganisms that occur only in the bark of Melaleuca trees.
I threw some water its way every two to three days, and also casually splashed some orchid feed around the branches towards the end of winter. The orchid seemed somewhat satisfied with all that, gracing me with a couple of flower spikes this month.
Our expert orchid member Charles informed me on one of our excursions that the orchid is so named after the canal formations of the leaves that draw in moisture from the surrounds. They also liked a bit of bird poop according to Charles. My orchid receives a lot of bird poop with the multitudes of birds visiting for the mulberries.
Dendrobium canaliculatum
Article was originally published in the October 2022 edition of NPQ Townsville’s newsletter