Recently our lovely neighbor gifted us this beautiful “Pink rock lily”. One of the things I love most about having a garden is the way friends and family become connected through their love of plants.

The Pink Rock Lily prefers an environment with strong light and rewards you with beautiful blooms. They are quite small and each raceme (cluster of flowers) can produce up to 15 flowers which can last up to three months.

Adequate light is confirmed by the presence of a red tinge on the leaves, if green this indicates the orchid isn’t receiving enough light. We’ve placed on a branch of a paperbark tree where it will draw upon the moisture and nutrients.

The Dendrobium kingianum has recently been reclassified as Thelychiton kingianus and is named a rock lily as it’s a cool-growing lithophytic which means – a plant that grows on rocks.

The orchard grows well in temperatures of 5-30 degrees and can withstand hot temperatures with good ventilation, partial shade and water. In summer and autumn it requires even moisture and mist should be added in the morning so water doesn’t remain during the evening. In the winter it needs cool weather to initiate flower spikes and should not be watered.

A high phosphorus liquid fertilizer is recommended for this orchid however it is not suggested it apply it in late autumn or winter. The plant can be propagated by division.

More information can be found at the Native Australian Plants Society Website