Singapore’s ‘Cloud Forest’

The Tropical Montane Orchidetum @ the National Orchid Garden is all sensory – cool air, a waterfall, blooms from across the world – orchid species and hybrids, many rare and/or endangered.

The tropical montane forest, one of the most threatened eco-systems in the world, is also known as a cloud forest and it describes the terrain of mountainous areas.

The Sembcorp Cool House emulates a high-elevation montane forest, typically found at altitudes of 1,000 to 2,000m and at temperatures of 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. It features the largest collection of high-elevation montane orchids in Asia, divided into five sections based on geographic regions. The exhibit is fitted with an improved climate control system – spectrally reflective glass that allows visible light in, but reflects about 60% of infrared energy that would otherwise have heated the structure.

The Yuen Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection emulates a Caribbean, Central American or South American forest environment at a height of 650m to 1,000m.

The Tan Hoon Siang Mist House showcases a selection of unique, uncommon or award-winning hybrids and species from the National Orchid Gardens speciality breeding stock of orchids – including the lady’s slipper orchids, often cultivated as house plants.

The Orchidetum also has a lowland habitat trail featuring orchids from Singapore and the surrounding region, including the four shield phalaenopsis which is unique to Sumatra and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

A Secret Ravine that wind through the three display houses emulates habitats found in the deep and narrow valleys of tropical mountains and the rare orchids and ferns that grow in the ground or in the crevices of rocks, such as the swamp orchid and the bamboo orchid.

The National Orchid Garden house about 1,500 species of orchids and about 3,000 species of orchid hybrids.