 In awe of the orchid
by Nilma Dole
Sauntering breezily in the
greenhouse called Orchid House at the Botanical Gardens or even at
Hakgala Gardens, the beauty of the purple orchids dazzle your senses
with the deep colour of royalty.
Sri Lanka, being home to a fascinating 170 orchid species of which 74
are endemic and many more are produced with different variations.
Horticultural Advisor to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, L.S. Wanigatunge
took the serenading Sri Lankan orchid to create a new hybrid for the HM
Queen Elizabeth II, christening it after her majesty. In addition to
this, retail fashion entrepreneur Otara Gunawardena of ODEL also has an
orchid called Dendrobrium Otara named after her by the Horticultural and
Flora Conservation Society of Sri Lanka.
 The sensational ‘Grammatophyllum speciosum’, whose flower cluster
(raceme) can grow to a length of 3m also exist in the lush green tropics
of Sri Lanka.
The species Vanda tessellate (grey orchid), Phalaenopsis, Arachnanthe,
Calanthe, Dendrobium, Coelogyne, Stanhopea, Oncidium can also be admired
at these gardens.
The wild and free orchids can be found in the depths of the Sinharaja
Rainforest Reserve paving the way for the jungle path. Anoectochilus
setaceous (the jewel orchid), Rynchostylis retusa (foxtail orchid) and
the rare Acanthepippium bicolour (pitcher orchid) are some of the
stunning species resident in the wet zone.
Ever since the colonial era, orchid cultivation has become a popular
hobby and have been worldwide flower show hits. In Sri Lanka, certain
orchid species are still revered for their medicinal properties
traditionally used in Ayurvedic treatments.
Right throughout the year, the hot and humid climate of southwestern
Sri Lanka offer the perfect climate for growing some varieties of
orchids, while the dry and cool climates of the central highlands make
other varieties thrive.
Sri Lanka’s fertile soil and natural fertilizers make orchids a
widely-dispersed flower. Originally started as a hobby by the bored
upper-class, growing orchids is now a thriving business where special
societies and associations are formed just to display the glory of
orchids.As the world demand for exotic flowers gets more intense, Sri
Lanka seems to be in an enviable position to supply that demand, and
earn foreign exchange too.
Even though orchid varieties lack alluring scents to attract bees and
other insects to help in pollination, they depend on their mesmerising
colours in vibrant hues and tones to lure and attract. Thus, in a good
nursery one can find orchids of just about any colour of the rainbow.
Pix: Fiona Fernandez
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