Orchids of Thailand
Thailand's orchids: the country's status as a global orchid center, native and cultivated varieties, the Dendrobium and Vanda families, orchids in markets and export, and where to see them.
Thailand and the orchid
If one flower is synonymous with Thailand, it's the orchid. Thailand is one of the world's great orchid countries — home to a wealth of native species and a global powerhouse of orchid cultivation and export. From wild forest orchids to the cascading sprays sold on every corner, orchids are everywhere.
The orchid families you'll meet
- Dendrobium: the workhorse of Thai orchid growing — the sprays of purple, white and pink you see in markets, garlands and hotel lobbies, and a major export flower;
- Vanda: spectacular, large-flowered orchids in vivid blues, purples and spotted patterns — showpieces of Thai horticulture;
- Mokara, Aranda and hybrids: vibrant cultivated crosses bred for color and cut-flower use;
- Native wild orchids: Thailand's forests hold hundreds of native orchid species, from tiny epiphytes to striking blooms — some rare and protected (please never buy wild-collected orchids).
Orchids in Thai life & trade
- A global export: Thailand is a leading exporter of tropical cut orchids and orchid plants — a significant horticultural industry;
- Everyday beauty: orchids appear in garlands (phuang malai), offerings, decoration and gifts — affordable, abundant and beloved;
- Orchid farms & gardens: orchid nurseries and gardens (around Chiang Mai, Bangkok and elsewhere) are popular attractions where you can see the range up close (where to see them).
For the curious
- Epiphytes: many orchids grow on trees (not in soil), drawing moisture from the humid air — which is why they thrive in Thailand's climate;
- Year-round: with so many types, some orchids are in bloom in Thailand essentially all year (calendar);
- Growing them: notes for tropical gardeners on growing Thai flowers.
Where Thailand's orchids come from
- Southeast Asia's rainforests are one of the richest orchid regions on Earth, and Thailand's own forests hold an enormous share of that diversity — from the far south's humid lowlands to the cooler highland forests of the north (regional flowers);
- Modern orchid growing in Thailand developed through the twentieth century into a serious horticultural industry, with nurseries breeding and mass-propagating hybrids for both the domestic market and export;
- Micropropagation (tissue culture) lets growers reproduce a single outstanding hybrid by the thousands, which is part of why cut orchids are so abundant and affordable compared with many other cut flowers.
Color, shape and character
- Dendrobium sprays come in purples, whites, yellows and pale pinks, often several small blooms arranged neatly along a single stem — the type most often seen bundled in markets and hotel arrangements;
- Vanda flowers are larger and flatter, often netted or spotted in blue-purples that are rare among flowers generally, which is part of their appeal to collectors and photographers;
- Phalaenopsis (moth orchids) are popular as long-lived potted gifts, their broad, gently arching flower spikes lasting for weeks;
- Wild native species range from miniature epiphytes almost too small to notice to large, showy forest orchids — many still undocumented or little-studied.
Conservation
Because wild orchids are slow-growing and easily over-collected, many species are protected, and international trade in wild-collected plants is restricted. The healthy alternative — and the one that keeps Thailand's forest orchids in the forest — is buying nursery-propagated plants and cut flowers, which is in any case nearly everything sold in ordinary markets and shops. For the botanical names behind the market names, see the glossary.