Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Plants

A compact native orchid often mounted on rocks or remnant sandstone in the garden; produces colorful pink to mauve flowers in spring. RBGS hosts specimens in rockery displays and in its orchid house, highlighting local epiphytic and lithophytic orchids.

Compact clumps of short pseudobulbs with narrow leaves, flowering stems bearing several waxy pink to mauve flowers often with a contrasting throat; often attached to rock or bark rather than rooted in deep soil.

Common Confusions

• Dendrobium Speciosum Dendrobium speciosum D. speciosum has larger clusters of white to cream flowers and a generally larger pseudobulb structure; D. kingianum is more compact with pink flowers.
• Miltoniopsis Miltoniopsis spp. Miltoniopsis are cool-growing orchids with pansy-like flowers and different labellum shapes; Dendrobium has typical dendrobium column and growth form.
• Caladenia Caladenia spp. Caladenia (spider orchids) have narrow segmented petals and a terrestrial habit; Dendrobium is epiphytic/lithophytic with clustered flowers.
• Cymbidium Cymbidium spp. Cymbidiums have longer arching leaves and larger waxy flowers on tall spikes; Dendrobium kingianum forms shorter sprays from pseudobulbs.
• Native Rock Orchid Other rock-dwelling orchids differ in flower color and labellum markings; D. kingianum typically shows pink petals with a contrasting throat.