Merapi orchid (Vanda tricolor)

Merapi orchid (Vanda tricolor) is an endemic orchid species of Mount Merapi with flowers shaped like spiders, has three dominant colors in one petal are white, brownish red spots, and purple. V. tricolor is considered the most beautiful of the 70 species of orchid found at Merapi.

Orchid Merapi is the queen of orchids from the slopes of Mount Merapi. V. tricolor and Dendrobium mutabile are extraordinary orchids where the two plants survive after being hit by the eruption of Mount Merapi in 2010. V. tricolor has a heat shock protein (HSP) that makes it heat resistant.

V. tricolor can live in the lowlands up to 1,000 meters above sea level. Cultivation is very easy and only needs patience. The plant's height is around 15 centimeters at the age of two and continues to rise up to several meters.

This Merapi orchid has a fragrant aroma, but only at 7.00-9.00 in the morning. Each tree can have dozens of flower stems that generally appear from October to September. Even so, this orchid can flower at any time. Indonesia has at least 5,000 orchid species.

This orchid has always been the focus of attention among a variety of flowering plants. Vanda tricolor is very unique, beautiful, fragrant and special for orchid lovers, even though Indonesia has at least 5,000 species of orchids.

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Vanda
Species: V. tricolor

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