Gardens by the Bay's new orchid display with over 40 orchid hybrids is now open

Drop by Gardens by the Bay's Cloud Forest from today and you'll find it blooming with over 40 types of orchids.

In time for National Day, Gardens by the Bay has unveiled a new Orchid Stories of Singapore display that opens today (Aug 4) at Cloud Forest. Over 40 local as well as regional hybrids whose lineages come

from Singapore hybrids will be on display. You can also browse detailed storyboards that document how orchids became intertwined with Singapore's history, culture, and economy, beginning in the late 1800s.

With our national flower the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid, orchids have long been linked to Singapore's heritage. In fact, Singapore was once the largest orchid exporter in the world, with locally bred orchid hybrids like Aranda Noorah Alsagoff and Aranda Bertha Braga catapulting our island to international prominence in the orchid world.

Follow the evolution of the orchid's role in Singapore, beginning from the early days when the first orchid collection was established in 1875 and became a hobby of the privileged in society.

This later led to the creation of the iconic Vanda Miss Joaquim in 1893. The orchid display also shows how local breeders honed and refined orchid hybridisation efforts, especially from the 1950s to 1980s, and the exceptional orchid hybrids produced then.

Interspersed in the display are interesting anecdotes of local orchid history. For instance, did you know that in 1954, John Laycock, founding member of the Malayan Orchid Society, sent 300 orchids he had grown in Mandai Orchid Gardens to Colombo, Sri Lanka, as a gift to Queen Elizabeth II?

Then, of course, there's the naming of the Vanda Miss Joaquim as Singapore's national bloom in 1981,

triggering a revival in interest in Singapore's orchid heritage.

Keep an eye out for unique hybrids like the Dendrobium Kiat Tan, and the tropical ones bred by the Gardens' horticulturists, such as Dendrobium Moses Lee and Papilionanthe Wong Siew Hoong.

Gardens by the Bay CEO Felix Loh said, "The Orchid Stories of Singapore display is a celebration of Singapore's innovative spirit in our horticultural history. Through our pioneers' creativity and resilience, a small nation like ours was able to stun the international community with beautiful orchid hybrids of a world-class standard.

This is a part of Singapore's heritage that we feel all Singaporeans should be proud of, and as a local icon, Gardens by the Bay would like to share this with the rest of the world."

Orchid Stories of Singapore

Date: Now till Sept 4, 2022

Time: 9am to 9pm

Location: Cloud Forest

Details: Admission charge to Cloud Forest applies

Visit Gardens by the Bay's website for more information and tickets.

ALSO READ: Hydrangeas lead a rainbow-hued Dutch-themed display in the Flower Dome

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.