Taiwan-grown orchids won a silver medal at the 2010 Chelsea Flower Show in London. More than 600 famous florists and horticulturists from around the world took part in the famous Chelsea Flower Show Exhibition which took place May 25 - 29 this year. The event attracted over a hundred thousand visitors and Queen Elizabeth praised the delicacy of Taiwanese orchids during her stop at the Taiwan booth at the prominent flower exhibition.

Taiwan is the world's largest orchid exporter with an export of US$ 62,6 million last year and with a total flower export value of US$ 88.6 million. One can easily understand why this industry sometimes is called the golden flower industry.

Flowers can be seen everywhere in Taiwan and are very popular as gifts and decorations in homes, offices and are always part of official events. Often, if not always, one can see a big flower, usually an orchid on the guest of honor and their accompanying persons during official and bigger events.

Taiwan, being an island, has an excellent topography and climate, with an outstanding environment for growing flowers. The blooming period of flowers is quite long in Taiwan and one can see different kinds of flowers during the whole year. Ludwigia Octovalvis, Hygrophila Pogonocalyx, Titanotrichum Oldhami, Crysanthemums, Cherokee Rose, butterfly orchids, and Calamus are some of the famous flowers grown in Taiwan. Roses, Orchids, Phalaenopsis, Red Anthodium and White Lilies are also very popular among the people of Taiwan.

The top quality anthurium, which has been grown in Taiwan for about thirty years, is sometimes referred to as the Flamingo Flower. Taiwan exports over 10 million of the flowers, mainly to Japan, where they find the Taiwan quality extra ordinary. Two new varieties of the flower, namely Green Elves and Pink Panthers, will be developed in 2011.

Taipei is hosting the International Flora Expo, November 2010 - April 2011 and we can rest assured it will be an outstanding event with tremendous flowers in a terrific setting.