Dipodium roseum
rosy hyacinth orchid
Overview
Dipodium roseum is a leafless terrestrial orchid native to southeastern Australia, producing an upright flowering spike 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) tall in summer. The species has no green leaves and obtains its carbon from soil fungi associated with the roots of nearby trees, a fully mycoheterotrophic lifestyle. For most of the year it exists only as an underground tuber, sending up a single fleshy, purplish-brown stem when flowering. Each spike carries 10-40 flowers, each about 0.8-1.2 inches (20-30 mm) across, pink to rosy-mauve with darker crimson spots. The lip is marked with deeper pink and minute hairs. Because it depends on specific soil fungi, the orchid cannot be transplanted or cultivated and dies if dug up, so it is encountered only in the wild. It grows in dry sclerophyll forest, often appearing after summer rain. Flowers are pollinated by native bees drawn by their colour and form, as they produce little nectar.
Native Range
Native to southeastern Australia, including New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, where it grows in dry eucalypt forest and woodland.Suggested Uses
Encountered in natural bushland and conservation reserves rather than gardens, as it cannot be grown in cultivation. The flowering spikes are a feature of native forest in summer. It has no role in containers or formal plantings.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 2'
Width/Spread4" - 8"
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs in summer, mainly December to February, when the spike emerges and opens its lowest flowers first. A single spike can remain in flower for four to six weeks. Plants do not appear above ground outside the flowering season.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pink with crimson spotsGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight