An ultra-rare flower – made famous in Oscar winning film Adaption – is expected to flower for the first time in the UK.
Dendrophylax lindenii – also known as the Ghost Orchid – is set to bloom at Kew Gardens later today.
There are only about 2,000 ghost orchid plants left in south Florida and 300 in Cuba.
The rare flower became a household name in the Oscar nominated 2002 film Adaptation starring Meryl Streep.
The film focuses on a screenwriters attempt to adapt the famous novel about an orchid thief.
It was flown into the UK from Chicago, US, a fortnight ago with the bud displayed at Chelsea Flower Show.
The orchid is expected to bloom at Royal Botanic Gardens, in Kew, south-west London.
After being included in the famous flower show, the orchid was donated to Kew Gardens, where it is on display in a terrarium in the Princess of Wales Conservatory.
It was germinated at the University of Florida in 2014, before it was donated to Chicago Botanic Garden.
The collaborative display will showcase the beauty and diversity of orchids while highlighting the importance of conserving their natural habitats.
Founder and Chairman of the Orchid Conservation Chelsea John Parke Wright IV said: “We are thrilled to be part of this international collaborative display, which highlights the critical role orchids play in our ecosystem and the importance of their conservation.”
The population of the native plant in Florida is projected to decline by 20% in the next decade.
This is due to development and poaching.
The plant is also difficult to propagate.
Dendrophylax lindenii is recorded as “endangered” on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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