Bulbophyllum beccarii

Bulbophyllum beccarii is native to Borneo, where it grows in lowland and peat swamp forests from sea level up to about 600 m. It is unusually large for a Bulbophyllum and has a thick, creeping rhizome that snakes around tree trunks, with egg-shaped pseudobulbs spaced along the rhizome.

Features:

• Leaves: Huge, thick, leathery, and cup- or bowl-shaped. Leaves can reach ~50 cm long.

  • These cup-shaped leaves are functional — they catch falling debris (leaf litter) which then decomposes, giving nutrients to the plant.

• Flowers / Inflorescence:

  • The inflorescence hangs down (pendant), ~12–43 cm long.

  • It has hundreds of small flowers (densely packed).

  • Flowers are flesh-colored (pink / yellow-pink) with darker flecks.

  • Smell: Very unpleasant to humans — often described as rotting fish or meat. This smell attracts flies for pollination.

Care Tips:

• Temperature: Warm to intermediate conditions. Tropical-type climate.

• Light: Bright but filtered / indirect light. Avoid very harsh direct sun.

• Water: Needs regular watering but should not stay soggy.

• Humidity: Likely high humidity (common for Bulbophyllum species).

• Airflow: Good air circulation is important (especially because of dense growth and leaf cups collecting debris).

• Mounting: Often grown mounted on bark or tree-like surfaces, since in nature it wraps around trunks.

• Feeding / Nutrients: Because of its litter-trapping leaves, in its natural habitat it “makes its own fertilizer” from decomposing debris.

• Flowering: The plant may need to be well-established and quite large to produce its impressive flower spikes.