Bright, heart-shaped anthuriums spilled onto the walkways, as collectors expertly examined the intricate patterns of philodendrons, pausing for a moment to admire the rows of rare ferns that erupted in every imaginable shade of green between the bustling booths.
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At June’s annual Bangkok International Exotic Plants Show, horticulturists revealed some of the secrets behind their “green gold” rush to This Week in Asia – a trade made possible by Thailand’s hothouse climate, rich soils and green-fingered ingenuity.
The Southeast Asian kingdom has cultivated a reputation as one of the world’s foremost hubs for rare plant breeding, a botanical bounty now valued in the tens of millions of US dollars and growing larger with every passing year.
“These are the supercars of rare plants,” said Sappasiri Chaovanich, organiser of the trade fair where rare blooms and floral displays draw enthusiasts from across the globe.
Here, collectors are willing to pay up to US$300 for a single small plant, while mature specimens, distinguished by their rarity, colours and singular patterns, can command prices as high as US$30,000. Most are destined for export, to be nurtured in breeding nurseries overseas.
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“Our whole country is a greenhouse and plant breeding is in our genes – it’s a kind of living art, not just a business,” said Sappasiri, a lifelong plant lover.