Chelsea Flower Show: gold medal to orchid conservation

The 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London marked a milestone for international collaboration in plant conservation, with the Orchid Conservation Chelsea exhibit taking center stage. This year’s event, held from May 20–25, brought together leading botanical institutions, researchers, and conservationists from across Asia and the Pacific (including the co-chairs of this subgroups Dr. Benjamin Crain and Dr. Jacopo Calevo), uniting their efforts to spotlight the urgent need to protect the world’s most diverse and delicate plant family: the orchids.

The Orchid Conservation Chelsea exhibit was the largest international partnership in the show’s history, featuring contributions from over 68 individuals representing 25 organizations.

The 2025 exhibit was themed “Hong Kong to Australia – Orchids of Asia and the Pacific” and was divided into four immersive habitat zones. Each zone, developed in partnership with scientists and conservation organizations, recreated the unique ecosystems where native orchids thrive:

• Hong Kong & South China: In collaboration with KFBG, this section transformed the display into a lush, boulder-strewn mountain stream, typical of Hong Kong’s ravines. Rare orchids such as the Long-Eared Dog Orchid (Bulbophyllum bicolor), Philodota chinensis, and Ruy’s Ania (Ania ruybarrettoi) were featured, many propagated from seed at KFBG’s micropropagation laboratory and recently donated to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

• Singapore: Once nearly extinct in the wild, Singapore’s native orchids like Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi and Callostylis pulchella have made a remarkable comeback thanks to government-led reintroduction programs. The exhibit’s reconstructed freshwater swamp forest highlighted how urban design and biodiversity can coexist, showcasing Singapore’s conservation success story.

• Hawaii: The Hawaiian Islands, despite their isolation, are home to only three native orchid species—all endangered. The exhibit focused on Peristylus holochila, with fewer than 30 known individuals remaining, and explored innovative conservation tools such as micropropagation, seed banking, and the potential of orchid gardens.

• Australia: Australia’s terrestrial orchids, including the striking Blue Sun Orchids (Thelymitra spp.) and playful Donkey Orchids (Diuris spp.), were displayed in a recreated native bushland ecosystem. For the first time, species like Thelymitra glaucophylla x grandiflora, Diuris aurea, and Diuris emarginata were showcased at Chelsea.

The exhibit not only celebrated the beauty and diversity of orchids but also highlighted the fragility of their existence. Orchids are highly sensitive to environmental changes, and threats such as habitat loss, deforestation, illegal collection, and climate change are causing alarming declines in wild populations. Through real-world conservation stories, the exhibit aimed to educate and inspire visitors, emphasizing the importance of protecting orchids in their natural habitats and the critical role of science and horticulture in preventing extinction.

Award-Winning Impact

The Orchid Conservation Chelsea exhibit’s impact was recognized with a prestigious Floral Gold Medal, awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society. The display drew the attention of visitors from around the world, including a visit from Queen Camilla, and underscored the global significance of orchid conservation.

The 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s Orchid Conservation Chelsea exhibit stands as a testament to the power of international collaboration in plant conservation. By bringing together expertise and passion from across continents, the exhibit not only showcased the wonders of the orchid world but also inspired action to ensure their survival for generations to come.