Papilionanthe are easy to grow here in Singapore. In fact, its one of the easiest orchid to grow in the tropics. Without any need for media and thriving on relatively low maintenance as compared to many other varieties of orchids. You can just tie one of these to your fence or railing to have them grow and flower. Papilionanthe orchids have meither an age limit nor height limit, the large it grows, the more flower it produces. It can withstand strong xerophytic conditions, and in fact needs strong sunlight in order to flower well.

Attached below is a gallery of Papilionanthe hybrids, they may look similar from far but click on the pictures individually and you will be surprised at how different one may look from the other.

How to grow Papilionanthe?
In the past, Papilionanthe are grown by typing them to a stake or wooden stump in the garden in a bright sunny spot. Tie a number of stems to the stump with equidistant spacing of about 8cm apart based on the size of the support. This is to ensure that each plant receives sufficient sunlight. Other methods of growing includes tying to a fence or railing as mentioned earlier. Providing this orchid plant with support is vital to achieve long sprays of flowers. With a good support, this orchid can reach massive heights and produce a greater number of flowers per spray.

Unlike most of the other orchids that we grow, more organic fertilizers can be applied for the growing of Papilionanthe. Many growers use readily available manure for growing them in the early days when cow, pig and chicken farms are still abundant in Singapore. It is good to keep the base of the plant constantly moist (not wet) during hot days. This allows the plant to take in more water & nutrient easily and thus produce longer sprays of flower.

Pests for Papilionanthe are relatively few due to its spiny stems and leaves which reduces surface area for attack. However. its soft flowers are susceptible to attacks of insects such as caterpillars, beetles and aphids. Periodic spraying of neem oil during the flowering season should do the trick of warding these off.

Since its inception, Mandai Orchid Garden has always been a specialist in the hybridization of Vandaceous orchids and thus many large, colourful and homegrown Vanda hybrids can be found here. A good number of  the hybrids they grow are also named after influential historical characters such as David Marshall, Chief Minister of Singapore (1955) and Tan Hoon Siang, descendant of Tan Tock Seng and founder of his hospital.

Coming this new year 2011, the garden will be shutdown for the expansion of the zoo, thus putting to an end to its 60 years operation. In an effort to preserve hybrids produced by this heritage garden, TG bought over a good number of the Garden’s hybrids with plans for further development of selective hybrids.

Attached below are some hybrids from Mandai Orchid Garden.

*This entry was backdated.
**Photos courtesy of Hedrick Kwan, ex-Curator of Mandai Orchid Garden.

This is a new Renantanda hybrid that has started flowering recently in our nursery. The long-lasting flowers of this Renantanda span 10cm and each stalks is about 55cm when in bloom. As the plants are still in their infancy, longer stalks of flowers could be expected as the plant matures.

Aside from this new hybrid, our nursery also houses Renantanda Genting Gem from Genting nursery as shown below.

This Doritaenopsis currently in bloom is a crossing between Doritis Pulcherrima & Phalaenopsis Equestris. This progeny has a remarkably red tongue and smooth colours descended from both parent plants and its vegetative growth more similar to its Phalaenopsis. This variety is not the original Doritaenopsis Purple Gem registerd by E.Iwanaga in 1963 but a more pinkish variation of the hybrid and with its flower form more alike Phalaenopsis Equestris.

We house a varieties of colours for this vanda in low quantities. From light green, to yellow to brown. This vanda has a thick jasmine fragrance that can get very strong in hot afternoons. Its flowers last for longer periods if placed indoors than outdoors as its fragrance frequently attract pollinating insects/pest.

This hybrid originates from the Malayan O.Ny. and was registered by S.Y.Alsagoff on the 1st January 1976. This hybrid is currently available for sales.

This hybrid originates from Agnes Joaquim and registered by Ridley on the 1st December, 1893. This is the national flower of Singapore. To date, there are a few variations to this Vanda. There’s a Vanda Ms Joaquim Josephine and Vanda Ms Joaquim Douglas that were not registered but yet recognized by growers alike. This hybrid has a smooth pinkish tone, and luminously lit flowers under hot sun. It thrive very well under tropical weather, is hardy and require little maintenance. The hybrid was first wrongly recognized as a species until the crossing between Vanda hookeriana x Vanda teres was discovered. As a national  flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim represents the multi racial society of Singapore well as a hybrid.

Here at TG, we houses the parent plants of this national flower, the Vanda hookeriana and Vanda teres too. We also grow the variation such as the Vanda Ms Joaquim Douglas and many other Vanda teres hybrids.

This hybrid originates from Wm.Kirch Orchids and was registered by Raymond Cheok on the 1st January, 1968. This hybrid has large but droopy flowers.

This hybrid was registered by E.de Saram on the 1st January, 1948. This hybrid is very free flowering in full sunlight. Very suitable for landscaping purposes as low maintenance is required.