FOR 46 years, the Dendorium Tunku Abdul Rahman was nurtured with loads of love and utmost care.

It sat in one part of the house and was always under the watchful eyes of the family patriach, Yap Hon Wei.

Yap had spent RM30 in 1963 to create the hybrid and named it after Malaysia's first prime minister.

Like all the family heirlooms, the plant has been passed on from father to son.

"Even though my father, who is in his 70s now, has given me the plant, it is still kept in his home because the Vanda Tunku Abdul Rahman is still very close to heart.
"I have given parts of this plant to be replanted to my friends who are orchid lovers."

Though the plant is considered one of the oldest hybrids in the country by the Orchid Society of Malaysia, Yap said Vanda Tunku Abdul Rahman did not fetch a high price as there were many other varieties of hybrids which are richer in colour and better known.

"Malaysia's oldest orchids are actually thousands of years old, as old as our jungles and are in our jungles. Some of the wild varieties are simply stunning."

Among hundreds of species that adorn his garden, it is the rare unnamed specimen from Vietnam which stands out.

The Vietnamese orchid is rare because when it flowers, the plant doesn't have any leaves and when it has leaves, the flowers just fade and die.

"The orchid plant is so unique in its characteristics.

"In most plants, the leaves are present all year round while the flowers bloom."

Yap said orchids were world famous because they were beautiful and came in so many colours.

"In Japan, orchids are so popular that several bouquets of the flower are auctioned."