8 July 2022
I did not know that Sabah has the most expensive orchid in the world.
The Rothschild’s Slipper Orchid (species: Paphiopedilum rothschildianum) from Kinabalu Park. This orchid is sold for USD5,000 per stem in black market.
I also did not know that Sabah also has one of the smallest orchids in the world.
That is until I visited the Botanical Garden located within the Kinabalu National Park HQ, Malaysia’s first ever UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set at 1,500 meters above sea level, this 754 square kilometer park features Mount Kinabalu, one the tallest mountains in all of South East Asia, as its center piece. But we were not here to climb the mountain.
Instead, we came to take a short walk through the Botanical Gardens located within the site and also have lunch at the restaurant in Kinabalu Park HQ before heading back to Kota Kinabalu.
Once again, there are fees to be paid to enter the park and visit the Botanical Garden. Our driver and guide took care of the fees as they are included in the 2D/1N tour package to Kundasang offered by Amazing Borneo.
The site of the Park HQ is pretty big and a one-way service road connects the key facilities including accommodations for climbers, restaurants, gallery, visitor center, conservation center, botanical garden and Timophon Gate (the start point of the trail leading to Mount Kinabalu).
A short walk through lush rainforest brought us to the entrance of the Botanical Garden.
Ticket booth and entrance to the Botanical Garden.
Visitors could explore the garden on their own but it would be much better to join a 1-hour guided tour (at 9am, 12pm and 3pm daily) for a small fee. For us, we have Gabin, our guide cum driver to provide us with information on some of the exotic plants that are housed within the garden.
One of the first interesting plant Gabin showed us, near the entrance, was the Pinhead Orchid (Podochilus tenuis), the smallest orchid in Borneo (some says it can be the smallest in the world).
This is the flower of the Pinhead Orchid (Podochilus tenuis), the smallest orchid in Borneo.
The flower is only about 2 mm across. It is so tiny that my camera had could not even focus properly on it.
We would not have noticed it, if not for our guide.
Actually, this was not the first time we have seen such tiny orchids. We had seen similar tiny orchids behind glass displays at the Cloud Forest, Garden by the Bay in Singapore. But this was so cool, seeing the tiny orchids up close.
Gabin then led us through the lush greenery. We had done many walks through rainforests in the nature reserves back home in Singapore and most of the flora looked familiar, except that the air is so cooling and refreshing here. The garden is about 1,520 Meters above sea level. This is like having air conditioning in the middle of the jungle.
The path through the garden is well paved and in some places, wooden boardwalk and decking allowed us to cross over streams and moss covered forest floor.
One of the many butterflies we spotted during the walk.
Our tour guide introduced and gave a brief background of some of the plants and flowers. Among the more exotic and interesting plans we saw are the following:
Kerosene Tree (Pittosporum Resiniferum)
Known as kerosene fruit, it was commonly used locally by the villagers as a source of fuel!
Our guide picked up some of the ripe orange coloured fruits from the ground and let us have a sniff. A faint kerosene scent could be detected.
Opened fruit of the kerosene tree with tiny seeds inside. It has a faint smell of kerosene.
Our guide trying to light the fruit with a lighter, without too much success. Probably the fruit has been exposed for too long.
Pink Maiden (Medinilla Speciosa)
This small tree produces colourful fruits that is quite striking and has some medicinal value. In Sabah, Malaysia, it is believed that eating the fruits might protect person from eyes diseases.
Medinilla Speciosa with young (pink) and ripe berries (dark purple).
Pitcher Plants
The pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant that lives around Malaysia, especially in North Borneo. Also known as Monkey Cup, they trap insects in the pot to provide some of the needed nitrogen.
Different species have different pot shape and different colors. Most species grow on the ground, while some others are epiphytes and could derive its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain.
Pitcher plants growing on tree trunks.
This pitcher plant is larger and grows on the ground.
Begonia – broken heart leaf!
The interesting leaf shape looks like one half of a heart.
There are many varieties of Begonias found in the Botanical Garden.
Naked Tree (Tristaniopsis bilocularis)
Gabin also showed us a few naked trees, so called because the trees are without bark. It is endemic to Kinabalu Park. Gabin told us the local people use its bark as mosquito repellent.
The exposed smooth orange-brown trunk of “naked tree” stood out in the greenery.
Umbrella Tree (Araliaceae)
This small tree with flowers growing on a spikes radiating out from the top, like the flame of an opened umbrella. Our guide told us the flowers could be used by women to prevent pregnancy.
Umbrella Tree, which is used by locals for birth control (female).
Philodendrons and Alocasia
These philodendrons and alocasias are not commonly found in the rainforest back in hot humid Singapore. Here in the botanical garden, they are growing everywhere.
The most expensive orchid (Rothschild’s Slipper Orchid)
Finally, we came to an area that is fenced up, with pots of orchids located a few meters away. This nursery area contains some of the rarest orchids and pitcher plants of Kinabalu Park. These fully protected species are highly sought-after items in black market and hence the needed protection.
There are a few orchid varieties in the fence up area. The one that is the most sought after is the Rothschild’s Slipper Orchid).
The most expensive orchid (Rothschild’s Slipper Orchid).
The extremely rare Rothschild’s orchid is only native to Kinabalu National Park in Malaysia and the flower only grows on the slope of Mount Kinabalu between 500 and 1,200 meters in altitude. The flower itself can take up to 15 years to take bloom.
The plant is endangered and protected by the Malaysia government, hence it is illegal to pick. The plant is only available from smugglers on the black market at a price of up to $5,000 per stolen stem. Even then, it would be foolish to buy the plant since it will not flower or even survive outside of its natural habitat.
Overall, I enjoyed the 30 minutes or so that we spent in the garden. Even for those with little knowledge or interest in botany, I would recommend a visit to this garden as the walk through the greenery in the cool climate is so enjoyable.
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