Plant care
Lobb's Bulbophyllumtemperature & humidity
Bulbophyllum lobbii
More about lobb's bulbophyllum
Ideal temperature for lobb's bulbophyllum
Lobb's Bulbophyllum is comfortable in any room a person is comfortable in, roughly 15-30°C (59-86°F). The mistakes are micro-climates: a north-facing window on a frosty night, a south-facing windowsill in a summer heatwave, the standing draught between an opened kitchen door and the radiator behind it. Read the room around the plant, not the thermostat. Below roughly 15°C the damage starts — soft blackened patches, translucent leaves, sometimes overnight.
Cold tolerance & winter care
Lobb's Bulbophyllum is frost-tender (USDA 11-12 (warm greenhouse or indoor warm room; no cold tolerance), RHS H1a). It cannot survive a frost, so in most of the US and UK it lives indoors year-round or summers outside and comes back in well before the first autumn frost — once nights drop toward 10-12°C is the cue, not the first frost warning. Acclimate it over a week when moving between indoors and out so the leaves do not shock.
Humidity for lobb's bulbophyllum
Lobb's Bulbophyllum sits happiest at around 60-80% relative humidity. High humidity is important for mounted specimens in particular. A humidity tray, regular misting around the mount (not directly into the flower), or a dedicated orchid humidifier maintains the moist tropical forest conditions this species needs. The usual low-humidity tell is crisp brown leaf tips and edges while the soil moisture is fine — a sign the air, not the watering, is the problem. If you need to raise it, the reliable methods are grouping plants together, standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (the pot above the waterline, never in it), or running a small humidifier in winter when indoor heating dries the air most. Misting is the least effective — it raises humidity for minutes, not hours.
Lobb's Bulbophyllum temperature & humidity — frequently asked questions
What temperature is best for lobb's bulbophyllum?
Lobb's Bulbophyllum grows best between 15-30°C (59-86°F). Keep it out of cold draughts, off freezing windowsills in winter, and away from the hot dry air directly above radiators — the extremes matter far more than the average room temperature.
How cold can lobb's bulbophyllum tolerate?
Lobb's Bulbophyllum starts to suffer below roughly 15°C. It is frost-tender and will be damaged or killed by a frost, so bring it indoors once nights fall toward 10-12°C.
What humidity does lobb's bulbophyllum need?
Lobb's Bulbophyllum prefers about 60-80% relative humidity. High humidity is important for mounted specimens in particular. A humidity tray, regular misting around the mount (not directly into the flower), or a dedicated orchid humidifier maintains the moist tropical forest conditions this species needs.
How do I raise humidity for lobb's bulbophyllum?
Group it with other plants, stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (kept above the waterline), or run a small humidifier in winter. Misting only helps for a few minutes, so it is the weakest option for a plant that genuinely needs more humidity.
Can lobb's bulbophyllum live outside?
Lobb's Bulbophyllum is rated for USDA zone 11-12 (warm greenhouse or indoor warm room; no cold tolerance) and RHS hardiness H1a. Outside that range it must come indoors before the first frost — treat any outdoor stint as a summer holiday, not a permanent home.
More lobb's bulbophyllum care
In the UK? Keeping lobb's bulbophyllum warm in a UK home covers the radiator, single-glazing and heating-season humidity angle. Temperature and humidity are one piece. See the full lobb's bulbophyllum care guide, its cold-hardiness guide, and watering schedule — humidity and watering problems are easy to confuse.