Antipolo City – Rizal province , Philippines

fairy sanggumays mounted on a living mango tree ( photo credit : Architect Patricia ” Wendy” Fernando- Regalado

fairy sanggumay, dainty sanggumay, lesser sanggumay, purple rain shower orchid, salome, cow hooded orchid or simply called sanggumays ! These pendulous and deciduous -type of orchid bloom are a big ” welcome” to the height of summer heat and Easter holiday. They are called Dendrobium aphyllum or Dendrobium cucullatum depending on the orchid authorities.

Architect Patricia” Wendy ” Fernando -Regalado together with her orchids within their residence in Antipolo, Rizal province ( photo credit )

closer view of the orchid with flowers ( photo credit: Architect Patrica ” Wendy” Fernando- Regalado)



One can estimate that there were several thousand of flowers producing cascading -type or shower -like effect to the landscape. The owner is a certified architect and a landscaper which explains the beautifully arranged orchid mounted to the mango tree. According to her , They probably grown this orchid species from some clumps about 5 or 6 years ago , dividing them once in a while , While the keikis ( orchid plantlets / suhi/ anaks ) where also attached to the mango tree, adding more orchids to the tree ! The mango tree is about two- decade or so -old.

Dendrobium aphyllum or Dendrobium cucullatum grown on this jack-fruit tree ( photo credit: Mr. Edward Ines Agdeppa )

Another friend who lives in Fairview area, Quezon City attached his fairy sanggumays to a jackfruit tree (langka / nangka ) which he bought at the sunday market some years ago, mounting them on several branches . Now , the jack fruit tree is laden with fruits and flowers from the orchid.

dainty sanggumay blooming in Paete , Laguna ( photo credit: Mr. Hans-Blooming Vanda )

flowering dainty sanggumay in our backyard

same clump

This clump had about 350 flowers with its almost 2 -meter long canes / pseudo-bulbs.

a smaller clump, with blooms !



This blooming orchid was attached to a different Mac Arthur palm facing north- east position. This clump had about 50 flowers .

our version of the cascading effect

We are expecting more clumps and more blooms in 2015 flowering season. This orchid species had a faint smell unlike its Dendrobium anosmum cousin.

close-up view of the flower

Note: This orchid species is easy to grow under Philippine condition. Try to grow them as clumps in one tree or several trees to give a shower or curtain -like effect during its blooming season . Try to give them an ample “rest period ” drying period once their growth have matured by November and December . You can surely expect them blooming by February , March , April or even May. It depends on what part of the archipelago that you live, some have a very short dry period , while some areas had almost no dry period .

Website links: http://www.orchidspecies.com/dendaphyllum.htm

http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/dendrobium-aphyllum

http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/229453