This is my Dendrobium Victoria reginae. I first laid eyes on it during a presentation to our orchid club by a grower who specializes in dendrobiums. When I saw those deep blue, almost purple flowers with their white centers, I was a goner. As luck would have it, the grower had one for sale, and I pounced. I think it cost about $20.

This orchid, as you would expect, was named after Queen Victoria. It is native to the Philippines, where it grows in forests at high elevations. This is not an easy climate to replicate in a house, but I read as much as I could about the plant’s needs, put it in a sunny window, and watered it well at the sink every three days or so. Like my other orchids, “Victoria” also gets “Superthrive” every other week and fertilizer on alternate weeks.

Unlike one of my other dendrobiums that requires a cooling off period before it will flower, this one doesn’t. It also blooms repeatedly on the same cane, while my other one puts out a new cane every year and flowers on new growth only.

You can’t tell from my crummy photos, but there are about 6 buds about to open. They are all clustered at the tip of the cane. This orchid seems to be quite easy to grow, and is quite content living in the same conditions as my phalaenopsis – only with more frequent watering.