8 stunning Australian native orchids to try growing at home

Australia has one of the most diverse orchid floras on earth. The vast majority have complex relationships with soil fungi that make them nearly impossible to cultivate outside their natural habitat. But a handful of species, particularly the orchids that grow on rocks and trees, are achievable for a home gardener with the right conditions and a willingness to learn.

The eight orchids below range from straightforward to very challenging. All should be sourced from reputable specialist orchid nurseries, native plant society sales or licensed propagators who can confirm the plants are nursery-grown and not collected from the wild.

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Australian orchids and the fungi relationship

Most Australian orchids depend on a specific relationship with soil fungi to survive. These mycorrhizal fungi colonise the orchid's roots or seeds and provide the carbohydrates the plant needs to germinate. Without the fungal partner present in the soil, the seed cannot develop. The exception is nursery-grown stock that has been propagated with the fungal relationship in place.

Epiphytic orchids

Epiphytic orchids grow on rocks or trees rather than in the ground. They have no mycorrhizal soil fungus dependency, which is what makes them achievable. They can be grown mounted on cork bark or rough timber, established in coarse orchid bark mix in terracotta pots, or planted directly onto the surface of a suitable rock or tree in the garden. They are the most reliable starting point for anyone new to Australian native orchids.

Rock orchid (Dendrobium speciosum)

Epiphytic · Spring · Full sun to part shade · Grows on rocks or rough bark · Eastern Australia temperate to subtropical

Rock orchid is the most reliable Australian native orchid available to home gardeners. It produces spectacular cream to pale yellow flowers in spring — up to 100 individual flowers per spike on a mature plant. In nature it grows on sandstone outcrops, cliff faces and the rough bark of large trees across eastern Australia. This tells you something useful about its tolerance of neglect: it is accustomed to drying out completely between rain events and sitting exposed on bare rock in full sun.

It can be grown mounted on a piece of cork bark or rough hardwood with a small pad of sphagnum moss behind the roots, hung in a position with good air movement and bright indirect to full morning sun. Water regularly through the growing season and allow it to dry completely between waterings. Remove spent flower spikes with sharp secateurs at the base once flowering is complete. Repot or remount only when roots are actively escaping the mount.

Rock lily (Dendrobium kingianum)

Epiphytic · Late winter to spring · Full sun to part shade · Grows on rocks or bark · Eastern Australia temperate to subtropical

Rock lily is the most widely available Australian native orchid. The small, vivid pink to white flowers are produced in sprays of up to fifteen blooms in late winter and spring. It is a compact plant rarely exceeding 30cm that suits windowsills, balconies and small courtyard gardens. It is also one of the most forgiving orchids for beginners: it tolerates temperature extremes, irregular watering and a degree of neglect that would finish most orchids.

Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Grow in coarse orchid bark mix or mounted on cork bark. It requires bright light and good air movement. Water freely through spring and summer and reduce watering in winter — a cold, dry winter rest triggers the best flowering. Remove spent spikes with floral shears. Divide congested clumps in spring after flowering using a clean, sharp hori-hori or soil knife.

Cooktown orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum)

Epiphytic · Autumn to winter · Full sun · Grows on trees and rocks · Tropical north Queensland

The Cooktown orchid is Queensland's floral emblem and one of the most beautiful orchids in Australia. The large, vivid purple-pink flowers are produced in long arching sprays in autumn and winter. It is a tropical plant that requires warm, humid conditions and a distinct dry season rest to flower well. Further south it will need its conditions to be actively managed.

John Hill, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In tropical gardens it can be grown mounted on a tree or in a hanging basket in a sheltered, sunny position. Water freely through the growing season and reduce significantly in winter. Remove spent flower spikes with sharp secateurs at the base. It is frost-sensitive — protect in any position where temperatures drop below 10°C.

Native cymbidium (Cymbidium canaliculatum)

Epiphytic · Spring to early summer · Full sun to part shade · Grows in tree hollows and on rough bark · Tropical to warm temperate eastern Australia

Native cymbidium is the toughest orchid on this list. It grows naturally in the hollows and rough bark of large eucalypts and paperbarks across northern and eastern Australia and has evolved to handle the full extremity of the Australian climate, including extended drought, extreme heat and the wet-dry cycle of the tropics. The flowers are smaller and less showy than most hybrid cymbidiums — typically greenish-brown to burgundy with intricate patterning.

sunoochi from Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It is best established in very coarse bark mix with excellent drainage, or mounted directly into the hollow of a suitable tree. It handles dry conditions far better than most orchids and resents overwatering. Remove spent spikes with sharp secateurs. Repot only when roots are bursting from the container — like all epiphytes it flowers best when constrained.

The golden rule for epiphytic orchids

The most common cause of failure with epiphytic orchids is overwatering. These plants are adapted to drying out completely between rain events in their natural habitat. In cultivation, the roots must have access to air as well as moisture — which is why coarse bark mix and terracotta pots outperform plastic pots and fine potting mix every time.

Terrestrial orchids

Australian terrestrial orchids grow in the ground and most have a dependency on specific soil fungi. These mycorrhizal relationships are extraordinarily difficult to replicate in a garden setting. The four below are among the most achievable terrestrial species in cultivation, but all require more patience and specific conditions than the epiphytes above. Source only from specialist nurseries — collection from the wild is illegal and almost always fatal to the plant.

Tongue orchid (Cryptostylis subulata)

Terrestrial · Summer · Part shade · Moist, well-drained soil with leaf litter · Eastern Australia temperate to subtropical

Tongue orchid is one of the most reliably cultivable Australian terrestrial orchids — it is evergreen and does not have the same strict mycorrhizal dependency that makes other terrestrials so frustrating. The flowers are narrow reddish-brown with a broad tongue-like labellum. They are pollinated by male ichneumon wasps that mistake the labellum for a female wasp — one of the most extraordinary pollination stories in Australian botany. The plant multiplies slowly by underground runners and can form a colony over time in suitable conditions.

Corymb34 from Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It grows best in part shade in moist, humus-rich soil with a good layer of leaf litter mulch maintained over the root zone. Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Do not disturb the root zone with a hori-hori or fork once established.

Donkey orchid (Diuris orientis)

Terrestrial · Spring · Full sun to part shade · Well-drained, slightly acidic soil · Eastern Australia — NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, SA

Donkey orchids are named for the two upright petals that resemble a donkey's ears. Diuris orientis is the eastern Australian representative of this group, growing in forest, woodland, heathland and grassland across NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. The flowers are yellow with reddish-brown markings on slender stems above grass-like foliage in spring. They grow from small underground tubers and die back completely after flowering — mark the spot carefully with a plant label so the tubers are not accidentally disturbed.

They require well-drained, slightly acidic soil in full sun to part shade. Plant tubers in autumn at a depth of around 5cm using a hori-hori to make a clean, precise planting hole. Keep moist through the growing season and allow to dry off completely once the foliage dies back in summer. Do not disturb the tubers during dormancy.

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Pink fairy orchid (Caladenia latifolia)

Terrestrial · Spring · Full sun to part shade · Well-drained, sandy or loamy soil · SW Western Australia

The pink fairy orchid is one of the most beautiful small flowers in the Australian flora. It is one of the more forgiving caladenias in cultivation but it is still a genuinely difficult plant to establish and maintain. It grows from a small underground tuber and has a mycorrhizal fungal dependency that is difficult to replicate. Success requires starting with nursery-grown stock that already has its fungal partner established, planting into conditions that closely match its natural habitat and accepting that some attrition is normal.

Sun orchid (Thelymitra aristata)

Terrestrial · Spring to early summer · Full sun · Well-drained, slightly acidic soil · SE Australia temperate

Sun orchids are among the most beautiful small plants in the SE Australian flora — the flowers are an open, bowl-shaped form in vivid blue, pink, purple or white. The critical thing to know before growing them is that the flowers only open fully in warm, sunny conditions — on cool, overcast days they remain closed. This is not failure; it is the plant behaving correctly. Patience and a warm, sunny position are the prerequisites.

DavidFrancis34 from Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Never collect from the wild

Beyond the near-certain failure, collection from the wild is illegal under Australian state and federal legislation and has caused serious population declines in many species. Always source from reputable specialist nurseries that can confirm nursery propagation. The Australasian Native Orchid Society is a reliable starting point for finding reputable growers in your state.

Australian native orchids reward patience and observation more than most plants. The epiphytes are the most forgiving starting point. The terrestrials are a different proposition entirely: demanding, sometimes unpredictable and deeply connected to the specific ecological conditions of their natural habitat. That difficulty is also part of what makes them so remarkable. A pink fairy orchid flowering in a home garden is a genuine achievement — one worth working toward.

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