Singapore Botanic Gardens and the National Orchid Garden

What it is

The Singapore Botanic Gardens were founded in 1859 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. They kept a patch of original rainforest, shaped the region's rubber industry and, from the 1920s, pioneered the breeding of orchid hybrids. That work is on show in the National Orchid Garden, where thousands of plants flower on slopes and arches, grouped by colour. A cool house holds orchids from mountain forests. New hybrids are named for visiting heads of state and celebrities. Singapore's national flower, the orchid Vanda Miss Joaquim, was first recorded on the island in the 1890s.

Before you go

• Go at opening time or late afternoon to avoid the midday heat.
• The main gardens are free. The orchid garden has a separate ticket.
• Allow two to three hours and carry water.

The flowers you will see

Papilionanthe Miss JoaquimThe national orchid of Singapore, known for year-round bloomingDendrobiumA vast genus of orchids found from the Himalayas to Australia and the PacificVandaA tropical orchid genus prized for its vivid, long-lasting flowersHeliconiaTropical plants with bold, colorful bracts and banana-like leaves

Also part of it, and being written: Orchidaceae.

Read more

Singapore Botanic GardensSingapore’s historic tropical garden and World Heritage Site

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