Bulbophyllum lobii is found in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and the north of India at altitudes up to 2.000 meters. The orchid is epiphytic, meaning it grows upon other plants and trees. Bulbophyllum lobbii was discovered by botanist T. Lobb who worked for Veitch’s nursery. The first plants were sent from Java and named after him by Lindley in the mid-19th century. It is an epiphytic orchid from mixed montane forests of Myanmar and Thailand down to Borneo and Sumatra, growing at 800-2000 m. Plants have 3-5 cm tall pseudobulbs along a rhizome. Distance between pseudobulbs can be 2-5 cm  long. Leaves are one per pseudobulb, bright green and 9-30 cm long. Flower stems arise from the base of the pseudobulb and can be up to 30 cm long. They hold one large, around 15 cm or bigger in diameter flower, with a yellow-ochre background and a variety of red-cinnamon strips and dots. Since many flowers can be open at any time this can make for a very striking orchid. Bulbophyllum lobbii roots are thin and not very long, and it is best suited to a large piece of cork with sphagnum on top or shallow pots. It should not be allowed to dry out between waterings. Apart from being a bit picky as a plant this is a very rewarding and beautiful orchid, however. For additional plant information for this special orchid see the Araflora plant symbols.

Bulbophyllum lobbii occurs naturally in mixed montane forests of southeast Asia at elevations up to 2000 m. It is an orchid that likes medium warm conditions all year, around 21-25 C at day and 16-18 C at night. Grow in bright shade without any direct sunlight. This orchid should not be left to dry out between waterings since the thin roots can desiccate quite quickly. Bulbophyllum lobbii can grow easily mounted on a large piece of cork with plenty of sphagnum in a large terrarium or a sphagnum pole vertically. Pots filled with small sized bark and sphagnum mix can be also used since this is an adaptable orchid, but they need to be shallow since it does not have long root systems. Fertilizing every 15 days with a high nitrogen water soluble fertilizer diluted in half the normal concentration during the growing season (mainly mid-spring and summer) is highly beneficial. For additional plant care information for ulbophyllum lobbii  a special orchid see the Araflora plantcaresymbols.