Bulbophyllum beccarii

[Tondomanila]

We went to Redland Orchid Shows last 2018 and bought this plant with three leaves for $150.00 ($50 per leave). The seller said that he came from Malaysia. The plant has 3 big leaves and pressed inside a clear plastic bag like a preserved specimen plant. I am a little bit nervous thinking if this plant will survive in this condition.

Luckily, ignoring the physical deformation of the plant, it actually survived and gave me 2 additional small leaves. I have been trying growing this kind of plant many times with no success until now. Last July, I saw a bullet shape object emerging below one of the leave. The temperature inside my greenhouse is @ 95 deg F. It was very hot and I have to keep my humidity above 70% using the sprinkler system. After a week, I was delighted when that thing became a flower spike and started to formed multiple flower buds. Then, they started to open up one by one within 24 hours. The flowers smells like a rotten meat. It is very strong in the morning and faded in the afternoon. The flowers last for at least a week.

I found out that to make this plant to grow and bloom is to keep your greenhouse warmer in the winter and very hot in the summer.

[isurus79]

Wow, very cool! Will you self it?

[estación seca]

Congratulations on a great achievement!

I spoke with Ben Ooi at length at the 2018 Tamiami show about this plant. He may be the person you bought this from. I'll repeat here what he said. The only bigger ones he had were pre-ordered so I went home with a very small one. I was away from home at the show for a week, and think I wasn't able to keep it wet enough during that week, so it died soon after I got home.

The plant rhizome in habitat grows spiraling upward around tree trunks, as can be seen in your plant. The rhizomes are very long between the pseudobulbs. The leaves are very large, paddle shaped and extremely stiff, like wood. They trap large amounts of falling leaf debris and form mounds against the tree trunk. The roots from the base of the pseudobulbs grow up into these debris mounds, where the debris is always wet from frequent rains. In this way a plant with the absolute requirement for wet roots can survive occasional rainless spells during the drier season.

Ben said it should be hot and wet at all times. He told me 40% relative humidity is too low for this plant, and 60% should be considered the very minimum. His growing conditions are hot and humid.

He grows them for sale is on coco fiber-stuffed cylinders made of vinyl-coated wire fencing. The roots can grow into the always-wet coco fiber and then don't need to grow up into the litter trapped against the leaf. The plant quickly outgrows this wire cylinder and needs something else to climb on. He said a customer grows it successfully on a long tree fern trunk standing always in a bucket of water, in a hot and wet greenhouse.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Holy pickled plum tomatoes!!

Well that is an amazing thing to look at.

Congratulations, indeed. Well done

[OrchidSue]

One of the coolest plants ever. I have looked into this one, but way to large for my space.




Susan

[jcec1]

Wow, great looking plant. I was thinking $50 per leaf, and then I saw them and thought ok now i get it.

[WaterWitchin]

Really cool plant! Ahem... obviously not grown for its fragrance.

[DirtyCoconuts]

i have to find this plant!

google is bringing me nothing. Do you recall the vendor you purchased it from?

i hate the "call and ask" routine but i might get there if i keep looking at these pics!!

[estación seca]

His name is in my post. He's in Malaysia, so permits will be needed - unless Tamiami or Redlands happen again.

[DirtyCoconuts]

i already googled Ben...very cool stuff, not happening until the shows open up