One of our passions is the special relationship between orchid species and their pollinators. We are delighted that the Bristol aquarium is open to visitors again and will be working with our partners again this summer to further develop the orchid pollinator display. We have heard that the wooden ant pollinator has gone missing so we will be back on the laser cutter to make replacements.

By coincidence, today’s orchid of the day is one of our favourite ant pollinated orchids.

This remarkable orchid is endemic to Mount Kinabalu where it grows in wet evergreen forest above 1000m. The species has striking greyish, blue flowers with a purple anther cap and field observations show that the flowers are ant pollinated which explains the clustered flowers on very short spikes.

We grow the species in small baskets from which the plants grow in a relaxed upright fashion. Plants seem very at home in our Warm Asia section with a minimum of 17C with some shade, throughout the year, amongst other species native to the amazing forests of Kinabalu.