The lip of Dendrobium spectabile is a remarkable plant structure that looks as if it was carved from wax. It is curled, twisted, wavy and has a purple reticulation over a white background. All in all a very out of the ordinary flower. Undoubtedly there is some insect in the island of New Guinea that finds this amazing flower irresistible. Orchid growers are also attracted by this mysterious plant, unfortunately it is challenging to grow well and getting it to bloom reliably has been the bane of most orchid connoisseurs that have tried the species. Perhaps out of sheer luck my plant both grows well, albeit slowly, and blooms reliably every year.