The Streaked Rock Orchid: A Tough Mini from Down Under

Dendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in Pacifica, CaliforniaDendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in Pacifica, CaliforniaDendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flower with thin red leaves, flower with water drops, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in Pacifica, California

The Streaked Rock Orchid is a wonderful Australian native. Its strange flowers resemble elaborate birds in flight. Its little, pencil-like leaves turn purplish-red in the sun, making it look like a pointy, colorful hedgehog. In the wild, Dendrobium striolatum lives attached to rocky cliffs in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. Our orchid is happily growing outdoors on the Northern California coast.

Dendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flowers, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in Pacifica, CaliforniaDendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flower with thin red leaves, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in San Francisco, CaliforniaDendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flower with thin red and green leaves, flower with water drops, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in Pacifica, California

Dendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flower with thin red leaves, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in San Francisco, CaliforniaDendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flowers with thin red leaves, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in San Francisco, CaliforniaDendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flower with thin green leaves, flower with spider webs, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in Pacifica, California

This plant stubbornly refused to flower for the first six years I had it, but has since become a very reliable bloomer. It responds well to doses of compost or worm castings, and receives regular water, good humidity, and strong air movement. Full sun turns its thin leaves a deep purplish-red, ensuring that it’s always a colorful garden denizen, even when not in bloom. This species doesn’t seem to need repotting like most orchids. I rarely repot it unless its unruly mass overflows the flowerpot. In the wild, it’s a lithophyte, growing with its roots clinging to rocks. The species’ name was changed from Dockrillia striolata to Dendrobium striolatum. Fortunately, the common name, Streaked Rock Orchid, remains the same.

Dendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flower with thin green and red leaves, flower side view, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in Pacifica, CaliforniaDendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flower with water drops, flower side view, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in Pacifica, CaliforniaDendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flower with thin green and red leaves, flower viewed from behind, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in Pacifica, California

Dendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flowers and buds, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in San Francisco, CaliforniaDendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flowers and buds, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in San Francisco, CaliforniaDendrobium striolatum, AKA Dockrillia striolata, Australian orchid species flower, Streaked Rock Orchid, miniature orchid, grown outdoors in Pacifica, California

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