- There are more than 30,000 naturally occurring orchid species worldwide, making orchids the largest family of flowering plants.
- Orchid flowers range in size from less than 1/16th of an inch for an individual flower to spikes of flowers up to 10 feet long.
- Scientists believe the origins of orchids on Earth date back 80 million years.
- Ancient Greeks believed elixirs made from orchid roots had aphrodisiac qualities.
- Samurai warriors grew orchids as a sign of bravery and prowess.
- Wild orchids were severely over collected from their native habitats in the 18th and 19th centuries to be sold to foreign markets in Britain and elsewhere, resulting in devastating declines in local populations and possible extinction of an unknown number of rare orchids.
- Orchids are still collected illegally. Botanical Garden scientists and horticulturists are helping to preserve wild orchids and their habitats.
- The Garden has grown orchids in its living plant collections for more than 100 years.
- Singapore has 180 native orchid species representing 58 genera. Such diversity is due to the wide range of habitats and the favorable equatorial climate.
- Orchids native to Singapore include: bamboo orchid (Arundina graminifolia), pigeon orchid (Dendrobium crumenatum), palm leaf orchid (Spathoglottis plicata), vanilla orchid (Vanilla griffithii), and tiger orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum).
- In 1981, the hybrid orchid Vanda ‘Miss Joaquim’ was proclaimed the national flower of Singapore because of its hardy and resilient qualities and its ability to bloom throughout the year.
- Singapore is one of four countries that feature an orchid as its national flower and the only country that has chosen a hybrid.
- Bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus), common fishtail palm (Caryota mitis), crinum lily (Crinum asiaticum), lipstick palm (Cyrtostachys renda), and fan palm (Licuala spinosa) are species native to Singapore that are used as accent plants in The Orchid Show.
- At just 272 square miles, Singapore is the smallest country in southeast Asia. Its population is 4.1 million.
- Modern techniques have substantially increased the commercial cultivation of orchids worldwide. The wholesale value of potted orchids produced in the United States in 2006 was almost $123 million, second only to poinsettias.
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