Dendrobium anosmum (Honohono) The Honohono Orchid or Dendrobium anosmum, has been a Hawaiian Favorite for many years. The Honohono in Hawaiian refers to the plants growth habit of alternating leaves, very similar to the introduced and invasive weed, Commelina diffusa. Oddly its the flowers and their exquisite fragrance and not the leaves that keep people excited about growing this orchid. Another interesting fact about this orchid is that its botanical name, anosmum, actually means scentless! It has slender stems that can easily reach grow 4 or 5 feet long. Flower colors range from lavender, to light pink, to white, there is even a semi-alba (white with a bluish lip), as well as a striped variety. The Honohono grow in a broad range of temperatures. In Southeast Asia, they grow from sea level to almost 5,000 ft. in elevation. Honohonos are very herbaceous (soft stems and leaves vs. woody hard stems like cymbidiums), so their comfortable temperature range will be from the lower 60s to the low 90s. I know they can tolerate temperatures into the low 50s and possibly upper 40s for a short period of time. During their growing season, ideal temperatures would be 70s to 80s. Honohonos benefit from a drop in temperatures (upper 50s to 60s) between December and January (dormant season). This in conjunction with a dry period without fertilizer, will help in keeping the plants dormant so that they drop their leaves and “hold back next years growth from emerging too early. Often times, if the new growth emerges early, blooming will be poor, due to the fact that the energy is now going to the new growth instead of the flowers. Humidity is also very important and should be kept as high as possible. In fact in the growing season, I dont think you can over water your Honohonos.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 06:02:56 +0000
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