Visitors to Singapore's famed Botanic Gardens, founded in 1859, were in for an extraordinary delight this past October and November: two of the park's ten Grammatophyllum speciosum, or tiger orchids, were in full bloom—out of season.

Named for the striking markings of red or brown stripes on cream or yellow petals, the tiger orchid has the distinction of being the largest orchid plant in the world. Weighing up to one tonne overall, inflorescences grow 2 to 3 meters high, with 60 to 100 flowers each. Individual blooms are as large as 10 cm wide, and last several weeks to two months.

Whang Lay Keng, Manager of Singapore's National Orchid Gardens, says it's hard to determine why these particular plants bloomed out of season, but hypotheses the display was related to heavy rains. "Some years," she says, "they don't bloom at all." February and July are the typical Singaporean flowering season for this orchid.

Native to Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, the Phillipines, and New Guinea, the tiger orchid was discovered in Singapore more than one hundred years ago. Rapid urbanization has led to the destruction of its natural environment. Until recently, the only tiger orchids in the country were at the Botanic Gardens and the Mandai Orchid Garden. In 1999, the National Parks Board began replanting the self-pollinating plant into gardens, parks, and along roads. It may take five years for these orchids to mature.

One of the recently blooming tiger orchids was located within the National Orchid Garden (admission for adults: $S2.00; children under 12 and seniors over 60, $S1.00), and one was in the main Botanic Gardens (free admission). The Singapore Botanic Gardens are open daily from 5:00 a.m. until midnight; the National Orchid Garden is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily.