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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 31, 2003
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Rare "Tiger Orchid" Blooms in Brooklyn
Grammatophyllum speciosum blooms for first time at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, one of the rare instances of this species blooming in the U.S.
Click on a photograph below to see a larger image:
BROOKLYN, NY — An orchid uncommon in nature and rarely cultivated is now in bloom at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Grammmatophyllum speciosum, or tiger orchid, is the world's largest orchid. Growing in the crotches of large trees, these orchids can be up to 15 feet long; the largest single plant on record had a mass of two tons. A native of the hot, humid tropical forests of Malaysia, Sumatra, and New Guinea, this orchid is known for its magnificent displays when in flower, though it blooms only once every two to four years. The flowers of the tiger orchid, also known as the sugar cane orchid in its native region, are long-lasting and can remain in bloom for up to two months. The flowers can be six inches across and are yellow or cream-colored with chocolate-brown or dark red spots. The flower stems (inflorescences) can reach six to nine feet long with 60 to 100 flowers per spike. The name Grammatophyllum is derived from Greek word gramen for grass, and phylon for leaf, from the orchid's resemblance to grass or sugar cane.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden's specimen was originally donated to the garden by a volunteer in 1998 and has never before bloomed. It can be seen in the Robert W. Wilson Aquatic House of the Steinhardt Conservatory, where it is suspended over a shallow pool in a large wooden basket. Its flower stem is approximately eight feet long and is in full bloom.
Photographs by Noemi Figueroa