Check out more of VU Sabu’s treasured orchids from the Western Ghats

A self-taught orchid cultivator and conservationist, he has collected samples from across more than 250 species, and tends to them at his farm in Wayanad.

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The primrose yellow paphiopedilum (Paphiopedilum primulinum). This species blooms sequentially, with one or two flowers open at a time. It can stay in bloom for many months.

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This tiny dendrobium (Dendrobium nanum) is endemic to the Western Ghats. The flowers on this epiphytic orchid, which grows on trees, typically measure about 1 cm.

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The Bulbophyllum serratotruncatum in bloom in Sabu’s garden. Its short-lived flowers die within a week.

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The rosemary bulb-leaf orchid (Bulbophyllum rosemarianum) is a miniature epiphyte that Sabu collected in Kannur in 2023.

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The Christmas orchid (Calanthe triplicata) is terrestrial and grows in clumps. It is native to many countries, from tropical and subtropical Asia to the Pacific.