Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Conservatory Greenhouse

Dendrobium densiflorum

pineapple orchid

A medium-sized, evergreen, epiphytic orchid with cane-like, fleshy, green upright pseudobulbs up to 60cm long. Four to six dark green, leathery, glossy leaves are arranged along the upper nodes and near the top of each pseudobulb. Each lance-shaped leaf is 10-15cm long and 6-7cm wide. Pendant, densely-flowered racemes emerge from the axils of leaves in winter and spring. Short-lived flowers are bright yellow, 5cm large with rounded lip with darker yellow-orange centre.

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1A

Botanical details

Family: Orchidaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen or Semi evergreen
Habit: Clump forming, Columnar upright
Genus: Dendrobium are epiphytic and terrestrial orchids with elongated, stem-like pseudobulbs bearing linear to ovate leaves. Racemes or panicles of showy flowers are produced from nodes along the stems mainly in spring
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Himalaya to SE Asia & China

How to grow

Cultivation

Plants are best grown in a pot in an epiphytic, medium grade, bark-based potting mix with added perlite, moss, or coir. As with many orchids, they grow best when the roots are slightly restricted. Therefore, avoid over-potting or frequent root disturbance. It is a cool to warm-growing orchid with average temperatures between 16-25°C. It can be grown similarly to Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis) but requires much brighter conditions. Provide indirect light and higher humidity by misting regularly in spring and summer, then move the plant to a bright, room in autumn and winter. Reduce watering and feeding until warmer temperatures initiate new growth in spring. See indoor orchid cultivation

Propagation

Propagation by seed is only possible in controlled laboratory environment. Mature plants may be divided when the plant overgrows the pot. Sideshoots (keiki) may develop on older canes - remove and pot them into sphagnum moss when the new roots are at least 2cm long.

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Houseplants
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required. Remove spent flowers as necessary, but do not cut the whole cane unless completely shrivelled. Oldest canes may be removed as long as there are enough, younger, thick, leaf-bearing canes on the plant.

Pests

May be susceptible to scale insects, aphids, mealybugs and red spider mite.

Diseases

Generally disease-free.

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.