Much read about
I have read much about this orchid but have yet to see it in bloom until 19 Aug this year. These blooms were from a plot of Tiger Orchids just in front of the National Orchid Garden enclosure. See Picture 1 below. Imagine my joy on seeing these blooms!
How the Tiger Orchid gets its name
Its common name, Tiger Orchid, refers to its flowers that are “vividly coloured and marked like the coat of a tiger” (Reference 1). See Picture 2 below
Its reputation and its home in Singapore
The Tiger Orchid is “believed to be the oldest and largest orchid in the world”. The Singapore Botanic Gardens is the home of this orchid in Singapore. Today there are two plots of Tiger Orchids in Singapore Botanic Gardens, one of which is outside the National Orchid Garden described above.
The other plot of Tiger Orchids is located near by at the intersection of two paths. This is apparently the same spot in the Singapore Botanic Gardens where the Tiger Orchid was first planted by Lawrence Niven in 1861. (See Picture 3). The plants in this plot were not blooming this time when we saw them in August.
Picture 3 above – Tiger Orchid Plants in the original plot of Tiger Orchids planted in 1861 by Lawrence Niven.
From Flower to Fruit
When we visited the Singapore Botanic Gardens on the morning of Sep 3 for our morning walk, we noted the flowers in the plot outside the National Orchid Garden had borne fruit. See Picture 4.
Other places in Singapore
We also noted that the Tiger Orchids in two plots in West Coast Park are blooming. The trees outside block 321 in Clementi Ave 3 also have Tiger Orchids growing on them. I was hoping to see them in bloom but they were not. Another day perhaps.
Spot a flowering Tiger Orchid in 2014
NParks had an activity on the Tiger Orchid in 2014. It is recorded in the NParks Newsletter of the day that if you “spot a flowering Tiger Orchid along the streets, in our parks, gardens and nature areas, be sure to snap a photo of it and submit it to NParks… you might just win a pair of tickets to the Singapore Garden Festival.” (Reference 3). Hopefully there will be a similar activity of spotting the Tiger Orchid in the future.
References
1-National Parks, Singapore. A Guide to National Orchid Garden at Singapore Botanic Gardens
2-Kate Bulo. Tiger Orchid — Oldest Orchid in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. 2018
3-Singapore Botanic Gardens, Spot a flowering Tiger Orchid, 5 Aug 2014.