Bulbophyllum appendiculatum (bul-boh-FIL-lum a-pen-dik-yoo-LAY-tum)
Family: OrchidaceaeNon-nativeHerbaceous
HerbaceousNon-native
Old World Orchid is a small epiphytic orchid in the Orchidaceae family native to the Himalayan mountains and to parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The common name stinking bulbophyllum refers to the unpleasant scent of the flower. Old World Orchid needs high humidity, good drainage and air circulations, and indirect light to light shade to thrive. It should be kept moist with 3 to 5 waterings a week and soil that lightly dries between watering. The plant is also temperature sensitive requiring a range of 60 to 88 degrees F. The showy orchid flowers appear on stems with 1 to 4 blooms most of the year. The leaf is a large glossy oval. This plant can be grown in a pot or mounted to tree fern or cork slabs or mounted to trees as a houseplant in NC. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Fleshy; Glossy; Leathery
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Single leathery leaf is large, 3 1/2 to 6 inches long.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Lipped
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
One to four showy 5 inch flowers, pink with purple veins that have a musky, unpleasant fragrance, but you have to be up close to smell it. Blooms throughout the year.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Eastern Himalaya to Assam
Distribution
Northeastern India and Sikkim
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Hanging Baskets; Houseplants
Design feature
Accent
Garden tags
#malodorous #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #small flowers #leathery leaves #frost tender #orchid #epiphytic