SINGAPORE – The tiger orchid – the largest orchid species in the world – is back in bloom at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

In a Facebook post on Sept 4, the Botanic Gardens said the orchid gets its name from its “vividly coloured flowers” that are marked like a tiger’s coat, and that each flower can grow up to 10cm wide.

It added that the 163-year-old tiger orchid can be found at Tanglin Core, next to the Curtain of Roots.

Dr Thereis Choo, senior director of Singapore Botanic Gardens, told The Straits Times that the 163-year-old plant is the oldest and largest orchid plant in Singapore, and is about 5m in diameter.

“As a significant heritage feature of the Gardens, its history can be traced back to 1861, when it was planted by Lawrence Niven, the first appointed manager of the Singapore Botanic Gardens,” said Dr Choo.

The last recorded blooming of this tiger orchid was in October 2023, she added.

The tiger orchid is native to Singapore, and can weigh over a tonne when it is mature.

It is one of the species under the Orchid Conservation Programme which was started in 1995, said Dr Choo.

The aim was to monitor existing species, explore ways to conserve their genetic material, and increase their numbers through reintroducing them into appropriate habitats such as on roadside trees and in parks.

The tiger orchid takes at least 15 years before it reaches maturity and starts to bloom, said Dr Choo, adding that it has an “unpredictable blooming pattern”, sometimes flowering only once in a few years.

“Flowering is usually triggered by a change in weather conditions,” she said. “It has been observed that flowering often occurs when a period of rainy days is followed by hot, dry spells.

“Each flower spike can last more than a month.”