Today, as I was walking from NUS through the Dover estate to take a public bus to go back home, I witnessed the many Dendrobium crumenatum plants that were in full bloom.
Commonly known as the pigeon orchid, it is perhaps the most commonest epiphytic orchid seen perching on the trees in Singapore. I reckon most of these have been ‘planted’ or so-called ‘re-introduced’ by the National Parks Board (NParks) into Singapore’s landscape.
This orchid, unfortunately, because of its presence in most of the streetscape trees in Singapore, locals here have regarded it as an ‘roadside orchid’ and hardly anyone grows it in their gardens. This orchid isn’t particularly showy when not in bloom and looks like a big mess of pseudostems and leaves perched on tree branches.
Aunties prefer those colourful, gawdy cut-flower Dendrobium hybrids. Orchid enthusiasts, instead, grow what we call ‘collector’s orchids’ which mainly feature orchid species from other countries, which may well be ‘roadside’ orchids in their native countries where they may be seen just anywhere…
It has almost become common knowledge that the flowers of the pigeon orchid develop after prolonged wet weather. One saying was that the flowering was triggered by the sudden drop in temperature of 5.5 oC or more caused by a heavy downpour. The buds appear nine days after such a time. Such drastic temperature drops may only occur in one small area and hence it is not unusual to witness gregarious flowering of this orchid that cannot be seen anywhere else.
At the time of posting this blog entry, I have not been able to find any scientific study that have been done to understand the mechanism behind it. My scientific question – is it the drop in temperature or the rainfall that causes this sudden burst of blooms?
The small, white, dainty flowers of the pigeon orchid, unfortunately, do not last long and they look good only or a day or two. I was told that the flowers are strongly fragrant but while I was taking the pictures, I wasn’t able to detect any scent.
Hey…my crumenatum also flowered!
Xuan Hong,
Not surprising. You are living in the vicinity of Dover eh? Hence the cooling near the neighbourhood park should have covered your area too…
Wilson
It is nostalgic! I grew up under coconut plantation. My fondest memory is waking up in the morning with the fragrance of the Dove Orchid, which I immediately anticipate flowers (on many coconut tree trunk). Then my afternoon would be climbing the (shorter) trees to gather my orchid flowers!
Was thinking about those orchids — search the internet and found your posting!
Good to know that the Dove orchids are still be found in Singapore!
Hello Wilson
I liked your post. I grew up in a village near Changi and my grandma had a dead branch hanging from the porch covered with pigeon orchids. They are beautifully fragrant. A delicate sweet smell, (not unlike the vanilla but different naturally).
I now live in an area with a lot of mature roadside trees covered with pigeon orchids. Decades later, I still cannot help collecting plants which have fallen off the trees (quite common in after storms too) and taking them home to plant in my pots.
As Kim Owens said, it’s nostalgic!! I lived in Malaya many years ago for quite some time and we had these lovely little dove orchids growing in coconut shells all round the porch of our house. I’ve never forgotten them. So, so pretty.
I live in Cyprus now and have a few orchids but I’m afraid there are no real specialists here and I can only find the big showy ones.
I did see dove orchids when I was back in the UK but they were pink. I’d never seen a pink one. I enquired about the white but no one seemed to have ever seen one before.
So pleased I found you site. Now I can show my friends what I’ve been talking about all this time.
Margaret