Flower
Cooktown Orchid
Dendrobium bigibbumAlso known as Mauve Butterfly Orchid
Cooktown orchids cling to tree trunks and sun-drenched coastal rock faces across northern Queensland and southern New Guinea, thriving in monsoonal conditions marked by torrential summer rains and bone-dry winters. Their slender, cane-like pseudobulbs act as moisture reservoirs that sustain arched racemes of up to twenty vivid magenta flowers during the autumn and winter months. Revered for its resplendent blooms, this orchid serves as the official floral emblem of Queensland and anchors local ecosystems by offering nectar to native wasps and bees.
EpiphyteFloweringTropical
—observations
—countries
—peak records
VulnerableConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXVulnerableRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotrophic (photosynthetic)
Predators
- Orchid Beetle
- Bush Snails
- Grasshoppers
ThreatsIllegal collection for horticulture, habitat clearing, and altered fire regimes
HabitatsMonsoon vine thickets, coastal melaleuca swamps, riverine margins, and rocky outcrops
Life spanPerennial (decades)
Classification
- OrderAsparagales
- FamilyOrchidaceae
- GenusDendrobium
- SpeciesDendrobium bigibbum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for upright, cane-like stems crowned with narrow leathery leaves and arching sprays of rounded, deep lilac to magenta blossoms.
- Support conservation
- Admire and photograph without touching or disturbing the root systems, and never disclose precise GPS coordinates of wild stands.
Responsible observation
- Observation: Look along paperbark trees and sandstone gullies in sunny, open-canopy forest edges.
- Conservation: Never collect plants or seed capsules from the wild, as wild populations are strictly protected.
- Photography: Use natural morning light to capture the iridescent magenta shimmer on the petal surfaces.
Image unavailableSame Genus 
Host Plant (c) elawrey, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by elawrey · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Petra Holland, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Petra Holland · cc-by
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