SINGAPORE, Sept 8 — The tiger orchid, known as the world’s largest orchid species, is blossoming once more at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
The 163-year-old plant, located at Tanglin Core beside the Curtain of Roots in the botanic gardens, is the oldest and largest of its kind in Singapore, measuring some 5 metres in diameter, The Straits Times reported yesterday.
“As a significant heritage feature of the Gardens, its history can be traced back to 1861, when it was planted by Lawrence Niven, the first appointed manager of the Singapore Botanic Gardens,” Thereis Choo, senior director of Singapore Botanic Gardens, told the Singapore newspaper.
He said the tiger orchid has an unpredictable blooming pattern, typically flowering only once every few years, often triggered by a shift from rainy to hot, dry conditions.
This 163-year old Tiger Orchid in bloom can be seen in the Singapore Botanic Gardens at Tanglin Core, next to the Curtain of Roots. — Picture from Facebook/Singapore Botanic Gardens
According to the Singapore Botanic Garden, the orchid’s vibrant, tiger-striped flowers can grow up to 10cm in width.
The tiger orchid, native to Singapore, can weigh over a tonne when mature and is part of the Orchid Conservation Programme initiated in 1995 to monitor and conserve such species.