Orchid Conservation

Our Partners

Gardens by the Bay is Singapore’s immersive horticultural attraction best known for its Supertrees, soaring vertical habitats that are marvels of nature, art, and technology. The Singapore Botanic Gardens, the only tropical garden designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the National Orchid Garden, with its famed Arches adorned with thousands of colorful orchids and many other exotic tropical species.

Orchid Diversity

With tens of thousands of species thriving in habitats around the globe, orchids are some of the most diverse and well-adapted plants on Earth. Investigate the many unique evolutions and survival mechanisms employed by this colorful family when you visit The Orchid Show.

Orchids thrive in almost any environment around the world, from deserts to rain forests. Having evolved and adapted in order to survive and reproduce in such a wide variety of habitats, orchids grow in almost any size, color, and shape imaginable. As such, there are an estimated 30,000 naturally occurring orchid species and tens of thousands of artificially created hybrids, making Orchidaceae the largest plant family on Earth.

Commitment to Conservation

NYBG remains a sanctuary for a renowned collection of orchid specimens, among which are included many species threatened by poaching, international trade, and habitat loss. Together with nations and botanical institutions around the world, the Garden continues its work to protect and repair the legacy of these important plants.

There are more than 6,000 orchids representing 2,273 taxa (different types) in the Garden’s permanent collection, which has orchids from all of the floristic regions of the world, including Australia, Africa, South America, and Madagascar.

The Garden’s resident orchid expert is Marc Hachadourian, Director of Glasshouse Horticulture & Senior Curator of Orchids. With more than 15 years of commercial and specialized horticultural experience, he supervises the care of the botanical collections, including the extensive orchid collection and exhibition plants in the Nolen Greenhouses.

Many wild orchids are at risk of extinction due to over-collection and the destruction of their native habitats. Through the Convention on International Trade in Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), dozens of countries are working together to curb the exploitation of wild species and ensure trade does not threaten their survival. Despite regulations, many orchids are still imported illegally.

The NYBG, a designated CITES Plant Rescue Center since 1990, cares for many confiscated plants. Hundreds of orchids from Brazil, India, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, and Thailand have arrived here in poor condition, but through careful study of their needs and the use of appropriate horticultural techniques, the Garden has successfully rejuvenated a majority of these ailing specimens.