Dendrobium is a member of the orchid family. Orchids are always considered unaffordable because the plant once sold for ten million yuan, and they are usually more expensive than other flowers in the flower market, but the dendrobium often decorates food on a plate. It is a bit like a phalaenopsis, consisting of three petals and three sepals.

There are more than 1,000 wild species of dendrobium, with many colors from yellow through pink and purple. Different varieties of dendrobium are pollinated by different insects. However, humans have cultivated hybrids that are unlikely to appear naturally.

The hybrids are divided into two categories: spring dendrobium and autumn dendrobium. Dendrobium blooming in spring has three to four flowers on every node of the pseudobulb. Since the plant is portable with a small size and the flowers are dense, it is a popular ornamental for the Spring Festival. 

Autumn dendrobium blooms on stretched pedicels. Ten to thirty flowers grow on each pedicel. The autumn dendrobium can bloom all year round, and the flowers that decorate food are usually autumn dendrobium.

Dendrobium prefers warm and humid environments. Its wild species occur on the bark or trunk, and sometimes on mossy limestone rocks. 

As an epiphytic plant, the most difficult problem for dendrobium is water. There are many polysaccharides in pseudobulbs of the plant, with good water absorption capacity.

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Season of flower

(All images via VCG)

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