A honohono orchid can push its canes past three feet in a single summer. Those same canes then drop every leaf before a single flower opens.
New growers often find that alarming. It is normal for this Dendrobium, and it is the key to growing one well.
What Is a Honohono Orchid?
The honohono orchid is Dendrobium anosmum, once sold and still sometimes labeled as Dendrobium superbum. Older catalogs and long time growers may still call it the dendrobium superbum orchid, or just the superbum orchid. Both names point to the same plant.
The species is native from Southeast Asia through the Philippines. In the wild it grows at elevations up to about 1,300 meters. It often grows on trees along forest edges, exposed to strong seasonal swings in rainfall.
Hawaii adopted the plant generations ago as a dooryard favorite. The local name describes the jointed look of the long canes. It became common enough that many islanders know the plant only by that Hawaiian name.
A close relative, Dendrobium aphyllum, is sold under the name pierardii orchid. It shares the same pendulous habit. Its bloom season overlaps, though the two are separate species with a slightly different flower color and scent.
The Plant: Pendulous Canes and Deciduous Leaves
This orchid grows long canes that arch and then hang as they mature. Mature canes can reach four feet in length. A single cane can add three feet of new growth in one season, often finishing by October.
Thin leaves line each cane through the summer growing months. Those leaves drop as the cane matures and enters its rest period. This species is deciduous, which surprises growers used to evergreen orchids like Phalaenopsis.
Bare canes are not a sign of a sick plant. They are simply how the plant prepares to flower. A healthy specimen carries canes of several ages at once, with the oldest, leafless ones set to bloom.
Honohono Orchid Blooming: Fragrant Spring Flowers
Blooming happens in spring. Flowers open straight off canes that dropped their leaves the year before. Blooms cluster along each node, often eight to ten flowers per cane, each about two to four inches across.
The scent is the plant’s signature trait. Growers describe it as a strong raspberry fragrance. A single flowering cane can fill a porch or lanai with scent for the whole bloom period.
Flowers usually last a couple of weeks before fading. New canes almost never bloom in their first season. Flowers form only on canes that finished growing and rested fully through winter.
That single fact explains most disappointing bloom seasons on this species. A plant with no rest period simply has no mature, ready cane to flower from.
Growing Calendar for a Honohono Orchid
The calendar for a honohono orchid has two clear halves. Summer is for growth, with steady water and regular feeding. Winter is for rest, with far less water and no fertilizer at all.
| Month | What to Do |
|---|---|
| May to September | Water freely and feed weekly at quarter to half strength. New canes grow fast in this stretch. |
| October | Growth slows and leaves begin to yellow and drop. Ease off water and stop fertilizer. |
| November to January | Keep the plant cool and mostly dry. Canes rest bare with no leaves at all. |
| February to April | Buds swell along the bare canes. Resume light watering only once buds are clearly visible. |
Watering too early in that last stage is a common mistake. A splash of water on a swelling growth point can change its path. Instead of a flower bud, that point may grow into a keiki.
Light and Temperature Basics
Good care starts with strong light, similar to other Dendrobium orchid species. Aim for 1,500 to 3,000 footcandles, roughly 25 to 50 percent of full sun. Day temperatures of 70 to 85 F suit active summer growth.
Night temperatures matter more for this species than for some Dendrobium relatives. A range of 55 to 65 F at night keeps growth steady through summer. Humidity of 40 to 70 percent works well while canes are actively growing.
Winter nights can safely run cooler than that summer range. A chilly, dry rest triggers next spring’s flowers on this species. Some Hawaii extension guidance written for warm growing cut flower Dendrobium hybrids lists a 65 F night minimum.
That figure does not fit this plant. A honohono orchid wants a cooler, drier winter than those hybrids need.
Without it, growth may simply continue, and canes are far more likely to skip blooming entirely. For feeding and repotting steps across the genus, see our Dendrobium orchid care guide.
Hanging Basket or Slab: Choosing a Home
Long pendulous canes make this plant awkward in a standard upright pot. Most growers hang it in an open basket or mount it on a slab of cork or tree fern. Either method lets canes fall freely.
Both methods also let water drain fast after each watering. A slab mount dries quickly, which suits the dry winter rest this species needs. A hanging basket with open, chunky bark holds a bit more moisture through summer.
Growers in humid climates often prefer the slab for that reason. Repot only when new roots begin to show at the base of a new cane. This species prefers to stay slightly tight in its container or mount.
Divisions are usually kept to three to five canes each. That size gives the plant enough reserve to flower well the following spring.
Keikis on Old Canes
Older canes on this plant sometimes grow small plantlets called keikis instead of flowers. A keiki forms at a node along the cane. It grows its own small roots and leaves over several weeks.
Our orchid keiki page covers how to remove and pot one once it grows roots of its own. Keikis are not a failure by themselves.
Many canes produce a mix of keikis and flowers across several years of growth. A cane that only ever produces keikis usually points back to a winter that stayed too warm.
Common Mistakes That Stop Honohono Orchid Blooming
A short list of habits accounts for most blooming problems growers report on this species. Each one is easy to fix once identified.
- Watering through winter keeps growth active and pushes keikis instead of flower buds along bare canes.
- Too little light produces thin, weak canes that rarely flower even after a proper winter rest.
- Feeding straight through winter can also keep a plant growing when it should be resting.
A plant with bright summer light and a real dry winter rest almost always flowers well. Our guide to how to get Dendrobium orchids to bloom covers spike triggers across the wider genus.
Honohono Orchid in Hawaiian Growing
This plant remains one of the most recognizable orchids in Hawaiian home gardens. It thrives outdoors year round across much of the islands. Growers there hang it under a tree or eave, where air moves freely around the canes.
Our Hawaiian orchids page covers other species grown the same easy way. The raspberry scent also places this orchid among plants grown mainly for fragrance rather than show.
See our roundup of fragrant orchids for other species worth growing by nose as much as by eye.
Sources
- American Orchid Society: Dendrobium General Culture Sheet, orchid care guidance. https://www.aos.org/orchid-care/care-sheets/dendrobium-general-culture-sheet
- CTAHR, University of Hawaii at Manoa: Growing Dendrobium Orchids in Hawaii, extension publication. https://www3.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/dendrobium_production.pdf
- orchidspecies.com: Dendrobium anosmum Lindley 1845, species profile. https://www.orchidspecies.com/denanosmum.htm
Frequently asked questions
Is a honohono orchid the same as Dendrobium superbum?
Yes. Dendrobium superbum is an older name for the same plant now classified as Dendrobium anosmum. Both names still appear on tags and in older books.
Why is my honohono orchid not blooming?
The most common cause is a winter that stayed too warm or too wet. This species needs a real dry, cool rest before it will set flower buds instead of keikis.
Can a honohono orchid grow outside Hawaii?
Yes, as long as a grower can offer strong light, warm wet summers, and a cooler dry winter. Many growers on the mainland succeed with it in a greenhouse or bright window.
How do I propagate honohono orchid keikis?
Wait until a keiki grows its own roots at least an inch or two long. Then cut it from the parent cane and pot it in a small container of fine bark.
Does a honohono orchid need a dormant period?
Yes. Canes must lose their leaves and rest through a cool, dry winter to bloom well the following spring. Skipping that rest usually means few or no flowers.