Dove Orchid - An orchid that looks like a dove

White Dove Orchid has pure beauty with pure white flowers, looking like white doves flying, however the flowers only bloom for 1 - 2 days.

Dove Orchid (scientific name: Dendrobium crumenatum) is one of the wild orchid species with pure beauty, strong fragrance and the ability to bloom simultaneously in just 1 day. With unique flower shape, looking like white doves spreading their wings and good adaptability, easy to grow, easy to care for, Dendrobium crumenatum orchid is increasingly sought after and collected by orchid enthusiasts.

In today's article, let wild orchid introduce in detail the origin, characteristics, meaning and techniques for growing and caring for the White Orchid so that you can understand this special orchid species.

Introduction to white orchid

The white orchid flowers are pure white.

Dendrobium crumenatum, also known by many other names such as Dendrobium crumenatum, Dendrobium crumenatum, snow mai or dove orchid, is a species of orchid belonging to the genus Dendrobium.

This is a native orchid species of South Asia and Southeast Asia, popular in some countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Vietnam. In our country, the White Orchid is widely distributed from areas such as Kon Tum, Khanh Hoa to Ho Chi Minh City.

How to identify white orchid

Image of leaves, stem and flowers of the orchid.

White Dove Orchid is one of the wild orchids with the most special shape and is likened to the white doves of the green forest. Let's learn more about the characteristics of this orchid below.

Close :

• Herbaceous, growing in clumps
• The lower pseudobulb is large and close to the base of the tree, the upper pseudobulb is thin and small like a bamboo stem.
• Average length from 50 - 100 cm

Leaves :

• Oval, growing directly from the stem without a stem
• Leaves are light green and succulent.
• When the tree is mature, the leaves gradually fall from the base to the top, leaving only the bare stem to grow flowers.

Flower :

• Flowers grow from the nodes on the stem, growing in clusters of 3 - 5 flowers.
• Flower size is from 3 - 5 cm, pure white, flower throat is light yellow.
• The petals are soft, slightly curved backwards, and the buds when not yet blooming look very much like doves - this is also the reason why this orchid is also called pigeon orchid.
• Flowers often bloom simultaneously after rain or in weather shock conditions when there is a sudden change in temperature and have a very short blooming time of only 1 - 2 days.
• Flowers have a sweet fragrance

Techniques for planting and caring for white orchids

Detailed orchid growing techniques from A to Z.

If you are a first-time grower of white orchids and do not have much experience, please refer to the techniques for growing and caring for this orchid species shared in detail here to be able to own the most beautiful and blooming white orchid pots.

Selecting and processing white orchid varieties

If you want your Dendrobium orchid to quickly take root and adapt to the new environment, you need to pay attention to the selection and treatment of the seeds. Please note the following important things:

• Choose healthy seedlings, no root rot, no leaf spots, no disease
• You should choose Keiki with 2 - 3 roots.
• If you want to shorten the flowering time, choose a mature orchid.

After selecting the breed, you need to conduct preliminary treatment to remove pathogens.

• Trim old roots, diseased leaves, remove old substrate still attached to the roots
• Soak the plant in a fungicide such as Ridomil or diluted Physan for about 20 minutes to remove fungus.
• Hang the plant in a cool place for about 1 day to let it dry before planting.

Choose the right substrate

Dendrobium orchids can be grown on many different substrates such as coconut fiber, wood, driftwood, bark, pine bark, charcoal, coconut fiber or moss, coconut fiber,...

However, before planting/grafting orchids onto the substrate, you need to treat the substrate by soaking it in lime and disinfectant before planting to avoid spreading pathogens to your orchid.

White orchid growing techniques

To help the white orchid to take root soon and develop in the best way, you should plant and graft according to the following instructions:

Growing Doves with keiki or tree :

• Place the orchid root on the growing medium so that the roots are close to the growing medium.
• Use wire to gently fix the roots to the substrate, avoid breaking young roots and damaging the tree roots.
• The tree should be placed at a slight angle to help drain water better.

Grafting Dendrobium orchid onto wood/coir :

• Place a layer of sphagnum moss under the orchid base, then place the base on wood or coconut fiber.
• You can graft 2 - 3 plants on 1 board to create a large, beautiful orchid pot.
• Use a rope to tie the orchid roots and the wooden board.
• Hang newly grafted orchids in a cool place with 50 - 70% diffused light, avoid rain and harsh sunlight.

Caring for Dendrobium orchids according to each stage of development

For each stage of development of the White Orchid, you need a different care regimen such as watering and fertilizing to help your orchid grow in the best way. Please follow the instructions below.

Recovery phase - saplings :

• Do not water by pouring water because it will erode the roots. You should water by misting in the early morning or cool afternoon.
• After about 2 weeks, spray B1 + NPK 30-10-10 every 10 days. You can use organic fertilizers such as vermicompost, fish protein, etc.

Strong growth phase :

• Water 1 - 2 times/day, depending on the weather, maintain humidity from 60 - 80%
• Fertilize with NPK 30-10-10 or organic fertilizers such as seaweed, humic to help the plant grow.

Flowering stage :

• When the tree trunk is old and the leaves start to fall, switch to fertilizer with high potassium and phosphorus content.
• Limit watering for 5 days then water thoroughly again to stimulate flowering.

Flowering stage :

• Cut off wilted flowers, temporarily stop watering for 3 days
• Fertilize with NPK 30-10-10 to help the plant recover, combined with organic fertilizer.

Disease prevention for white orchids

To help the orchid grow well and have less disease, you need to proactively prevent disease by applying the following measures:

• Regularly observe the condition of orchids to detect signs of pests, diseases, root rot, and soft stems for timely treatment.
• Spray Ridomil and diluted Physan fungicides periodically to prevent fungus and leaf spots.
• Maintain a clean, airy environment, not humid or stuffy
• Do not water too much, causing the orchid roots to rot.

Technique to stimulate mass blooming of Dendrobium orchids

One of the attractions of the White Orchid is its ability to bloom simultaneously, creating a very beautiful effect. However, to help this orchid bloom at the same time, you need to pay attention to some of the following techniques.

Understanding the mechanism of flowering

First, you need to understand the flowering mechanism of the Dendrobium orchid to be able to stimulate flowering. The specific mechanism is as follows:

• This orchid species does not bloom in a fixed season but only blooms when it experiences "heat shock" - a sudden drop in temperature.
• Usually after being shocked by heat for 9 days, the White Orchid will bud and bloom simultaneously in just 1 day.

Conditions that can stimulate flowering

Not all Dendrobium orchids can be stimulated to flower, you can only do this for mature plants, specifically as follows:

• Mature tree, has 2 - 3 old trunks, leaves have almost fallen
• Stop fertilizing 10 days before flowering.
• Reduce watering for 1 week to create temporary drought conditions

Method to stimulate white orchids to bloom simultaneously

There are 3 popular methods to stimulate white orchids to bloom simultaneously as follows:

Method 1: Create natural heat shock

• Move the orchid pot from a sunny place to a shady place, creating a temperature difference between day and night of at least 10 degrees Celsius.
• Use ice and spray mist near the orchid roots in the early morning to reduce the temperature instantly.

Method 2: Shock irrigation

• Stop watering for about 5 days, then water thoroughly in the cool afternoon and early morning to create water shock, similar to natural rain.

Method 3: Fertilize with flower stimulant

• Create heat shock + spray NPK 6-30-30 fertilizer to stimulate flowering
• Spray about 2 times, 5 days apart to help the plant develop buds faster.

What does the white orchid mean?

White orchid symbolizes strong vitality.

The White Orchid not only has pure beauty but it also carries many different meaningful symbols, specifically as follows:

• The white color of the orchid symbolizes purity and innocence, likened to the beauty of a dignified and noble woman.
• Because white orchids can grow on tree bark and dry cliffs, they also carry a message of strong vitality, the will to rise up and overcome difficulties.
• This orchid species usually blooms for only one day, after the rain, so it also symbolizes fragile, short-lived but still brilliant beauty.
• The simultaneous blooming of white orchids after the rain is also a good omen in feng shui, a sign of the best start.

Price list of white orchids

Currently, the price of White Orchid in Vietnam fluctuates at many different levels, from a few hundred thousand to a few million VND, depending on the origin, size, and age of the plant. For more details, please refer to the following price list.

Questions and answers about orchids

Is Dendrobium easy to grow?

White orchids are quite easy to grow and care for because they have good adaptability, strong vitality and can be grown on many different substrates, so they are completely suitable for people without much experience.

How to propagate white orchid?

Dendrobium orchids can be propagated by seeds or keiki (offshoots growing from the mother plant), however, the keiki separation method is more popular because it is very simple and effective, while propagation by seeds will require many complicated techniques.

Is the orchid fragrant?

Yes, the White Orchid is not only beautiful but also fragrant.

Beautiful and impressive pictures of white orchids

Right below is a collection of the most beautiful and impressive images of Dove orchids. We invite you to admire them to fully visualize the "uniqueness" of this flower that looks like a dove.

The white orchid flowers have a very elegant shape.

White dove orchid buds look like white doves.

Close-up of the face of the white orchid with extremely impressive beauty.

The white orchid buds are gradually blooming.

The orchid is simple but very beautiful.

A bush of white orchids is blooming in the sun.

Through the above article, orchid-vn.com has shared full information about the White orchid , with its simple, pure beauty and containing many profound meanings, this orchid is worthy of being in the orchid collection of orchid lovers. What are you waiting for without trying the White orchid to add more beauty to your garden.

Don't forget to visit our Blog section to discover more beautiful and meaningful orchid species to help you become a true orchid player.