Bulbophyllum shepherdii

Bulbophyllum shepherdii, endemic to eastern Australia, is found in rainforests and wet forests from southeastern Queensland to southern New South Wales, between Nambour and Bega.

Features:

• Growth Habit: Grows epiphytically (on trees) or lithophytically (on rocks), forming dense mats of branching rhizomes pressed to the substrate. Each rhizome segment bears a small pseudobulb with a single grooved, egg-shaped leaf.

• Size & Structure:

  • Pseudobulbs: ~2–3 mm in diameter, spaced 2–9 mm apart.

  • Leaves: 20–40 mm long by 6–8 mm wide, channelled on top.

• Flowers:

  • Single flower per inflorescence, about 4–5 mm long and 2–3 mm wide; white or cream-coloured with yellow tips.

  • Sepals/petals are fleshy; labellum is reddish-brown with a sharp central bend.

• Flowering Season: Typically blooms from March through August, though sightings in native habitat note blooming in July as well.

Care Tips:

Light

• Prefers bright, indirect or shaded light—avoid direct sun to prevent leaf burn. Ideal range is about 1,000–3,000 foot-candles, roughly 2–5 hours of bright diffuse light per day.

Temperature & Humidity

• Most Bulbophyllum thrive in warm to hot temperatures (15–32 °C or 60–90 °F), though B. shepherdii may enjoy slightly cooler conditions given its high-altitude origins.

• Humidity: Maintain high humidity around 60–90%, with good air circulation to prevent fungal issues.

Watering

• Keep the medium consistently moist; allow slight drying but never let it fully dry out.

• Mounted plants or those in fine media may require frequent misting or watering.

Potting Medium & Mounting

• Use well-draining media like sphagnum moss, fine bark, tree fern fiber, or a mix.

• Mounting on bark or tree fern is possible and mirrors its natural epiphytic habit; pots should have drainage.

Fertilizing

• Feed regularly during growth using a balanced fertilizer at quarter to half strength.

Repotting

• Repot as needed, ideally during new growth; species may remain in the same mounting for several years to avoid disturbing roots.