75 Trendy Plants for 2021 in the Philippines (Part 2)

Plantdemic and the plant craze among plantiquarians, plantitos, plantitas, halamoms, batang halaman will extend from 2021 and early part of 2022.

Some plant farm owners and industry experts believes that there will be some price adjustments for some of the well loved plants that people fancy for most part of 2020.

75 Trendy Plants for 2021

Cymbidium Hybrids

69.) Orchids – Dendrobium hybrids, Vanda hybrids, Cattleya hybrids and allies,Oncidium ( dancing ladies or dancing dolls) hybrids, Cymbidium hybrids, Phalenopsis hybrids, Catasetum hybrids, Vanilla orchid, and native orchid species will still be popular among backyard hobbyists, amateur collector and hospitality industry will need a lot of these flowering plants.

Flowering orchids like Dendrobium hybids, Phalenopsis hybrids, Mokara, Cymbidium hybrids are in much demand as their bloom can last between two weeks to at least a month (with proper care and maintenance).

Vanilla orchid at Sidcor Centris Sunday Market in Quezon City

Growing orchids is still popular hobby and there are several FB group with tens of thousand of member, forum sites and other social media sites which caters to the proliferation of this hobby and how to grow these plants. There are a lot of misconception, myths and fantasy on orchids that there are people who still regard growing them as therapeutic, business, lucky, challenge or just for aesthetic purposes.

Aerides quinquivulnera species

Native orchids are also popular. However, there are some issues that one must always take into consideration. Getting your native orchids in the wild poses threat to the survival of many of these plants. Be sure that the orchids are from reputable orchid dealer, farm or had been cultivated for a long time by the grower.

Old cultivar varieties like Dendrobium Jacquelyn Thomas which was developed way back in the 1970’s, Dendrobium University of Hawaii, Dendrobium Caesar, Dendrobium bigibbum hybrids are slowly making a come back in the local market. These old hybrid cultivar varieties are quite hardy in the long rainy climate and their flowers are long lasting.

Vanda merrillii ( photo courtesy of Mr. Lebon Ong and Mr. Ramon Calado)

Some native orchids will not survive the hot climatic conditions of the lowlands, While there are some endangered orchids still traded online. Try to read books, magazines, literature and online sites which can give accurate information.

Native orchids and fern allies

For long time collectors and hobbyists would refer any jungle collected plants or orchids as Gubatum/ Gubatum Harbatum/ Hablotii.

There is also a surge in people interested in native orchid species, Aerides quinquivulnera, Dendrobium anosmum, Dendrobium aphyllum, Vanda sanderiana, Vanda lamellata, jewel orchid, terrestrial orchid.

Proof to the pudding is that some well known and established orchid farms located in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna,Davao,Cebu, Quezon and Cagayan de Oro are expanding.

What to look for ? miniature orchids, jewel orchids, ground orchids, old cultivar, crosses, varieties and new orchid hybrids are in trend.

Do not forget to visit this blog for more plants in the list ! Happy New Year 2021.

Sources, Reference, Bibliographies:

Hansen Eric, Orchid Fever: A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust, and Lunacy Paperback – Illustrated, February 27, 2001

Personal Interview among plant center owners, Orchid and Plant Lovers of the Philippines FB, Mindanao Avenue Garden Center, Fairview Neopolitan Garden Center, Cartimar Garden Center, White Plains, Bulacan Garden, Arid and Aroid’s Farm, Quezon City Memorial Circle, Tabang -Guiguinto Plant growers, GreenScapes Garden Center– Novaliches, Farmer’s Garden Center -Cubao, Sidcor -Eaton Centris Sunday Market, Rona’s Garden.

For additional information of the 75 Trendy Plants in the Philippines for 2021 (part 1) please click the hyperlink.

Salinta Monon Birth Centenary Stamp

Salinta Monon was honored as Manlilikha ng Bayan sa Paghahabi in 1998 not just for her mastery in the art of weaving but also for her dedication in having acted as source of knowledge of the living traditions of the Tagabawa- Bagobo community.

Practically, since she was born on December 12, 1920, Salinta Monon had watched her mother’s nimble hands glide over the loom, weaving traditional Bagobo textiles.

At 12 she presented herself to her mother, to be taught how to weave herself. Her ardent desire to excel in the art of her ancestors enabled her to learn quickly. She developed a keen eye for the traditional designs, and now, at the age of 65, she can identify the design as well as the author of a woven piece just by a glance.

Due to her reputation as a weaver, Agton Monon, a farmer and her husband, had to pay a high bride price “dowry” to her father Datu Bansalan Barra for him to be allowed to marry her. The two got married on July 4, 1946.

All her life she has woven continuously, through her marriage and six pregnancies, and even after her husband’s death 20 years ago. She and her sister are the only remaining Bagobo weavers in her community.

She died on June 4, 2009 aged 88. A lot of her works are now displayed at the NCCA , National Museum and textile collectors from many parts of the globe.

Salita Monon Birth Centenary

Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPOST) issues a stamp which commemorates her birth centenary and first day cover.

The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) or the National Living Treasures Award is solely administered and implemented by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

12 December 2020 was the birth centenary of Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan recipient Salinta Monon. The postal service issues stamps and official first day covers to commemorate this significant occasion.

Technical Description

Date of Issue : December 12, 2020

Kind of Issuance: Commemorative

Design Coordinator : Ms. Roche Severo – GAMABA Secretariat

Office of the Executive Director NCCA

Denomination : Php 12.00

Artist: Ms. Eunice Beatrix U. Dabu – (PHLPOST in house artist)

Size: 40mm x 30 mm

Sheet Composition : (40) 40 x 10

Perforation: 14

Printing Process: Offset Litho Printing

Printing Company : Amstar, Company Incorporated

Quantity : 30,000 stamps

First Day Cover: 3,900 Official First Day COver

75 Trendy Plants for 2021 in the Philippines (Part 1)

Plantitos, plantitas, plantiquarians,halamoms,plant enthusiasts from many parts of the country are waiting for the next plants to watch out for 2021 to early 2022.

Unlike the last quarter of 2019 and towards the end of 2020, There are a lot of ordinary plants which became craze and fancy among many plant collectors. 2021 and 2022 year will be a different ball game and a more educated gardening public will be always on a look-out for plants to propagate and grow.

75 Trendy Plants for 2021

75.) Christmas Aglaonema hybrids– pink, reddish colored aglaonema and anything with spots. Some of the cultivars are old time hybrids grown in the country. While there are exciting new aglaonema hybrids developed in Thailand, Taiwan (ROC), Malaysia,Cambodia, Vietnam, Costa Farm and elsewhere. Lunar Chinese New Year 2021 will be celebrated on February 12, 2021 and this will drive -up the demand for more of these “La Swerte” or Chinese Evergreen in the market.

Photo courtesy of : Suan Unyamanee

Plant collectors and those who believe in feng shui will surely drive the prices of the reddish, pinkish,those with spots and new hybrids. Practitioners believes that having several plants inside one’s home will surely drive negative chi away.

Coleus blumei hybrid

pixabay user: jamesdemers-3416

74.) Coleus blumei hybrids ( aka Mayana) Plectranthus scutellarioides – This had different colors and is considered as a medicinal plant ages ago. This can be grown in partial shade, semi-indoor locations or sometimes grown as hedge plant all over the country. A proprietor in small garden stall within Quezon City had to keep on propagating mayana plant in order to supply their growing clientele. Their supplier from Tabang- Guiguinto, Bulacan always ran out of stock.

A recent big discount sale at Philvirra Homes near Project 8 in Quezon City also drew record buyers for their Coleus blumei hybrids.

Euphorbia milii hybrid

73.) Euphorbia milii hybrids- which are different color types of Euphorbia milii and Euphorbia lophogona hybrids which are more popularly called ( Corona de Cristo, Crown of thorns, Christ’s thorn) have flowers that grow in clusters of brilliant blooms. They are considered indestructible because they can grow year-round on a sunny windowsill in a warm, bright location, tolerating long periods of dryness.

They are in demand as flowering and curiosity plant in the country way back from 2005 to mid-2007, When local farm propagators imported a lot of varieties from neighboring Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan. The hybrid had a short come back around 2016 to 2018 when more hardy types or those which did not rot in the care of the propagators for the past several years.

72.) Dracena marginata – Locally called as Dragon’s tree, Lucky Dragon, Madagascar’s dragon tree among local growers, This is a relative of the more popular snake plant/mother’s in law tongue or formerly called Sanseviera. The ordinary ones are quite affordable in the local market and are used in dish garden, terrarium and stems are grown in water culture.

People are always in a look-out for the variegated types and those with compact leaves. Chinese, Thai, Indonesians, Singaporeans, Indians, Europeans and other Southeast Asian countries have a fancy for these types of plants. They are quite hardy and can be propagated via cuttings or rooted on water.

The popularity of these plants will surely be trendy and people will still propagate these plants.

71.) Tillandsia species and hybrids- Tillandsia are known as air plants and close relative of Bromeliads. For the past few years, small tillandsia species, hybrids and cultivar varieties have cause sensation among plant lovers. These plants do not require big space and can be grow within minimal care. Tillandsia fasiculata, Tillandsia capitata, Tillandsia ionantha are some of the popular ones grown by beginners and even seasoned collectors. They will still be popular in the market as almost all plant center stalls would carry at least few species or hybrids.

Epiphyllum oxypetalum or Queen of the night

70.) Epiphyllum oxypetalum ( Dutchman’s pipe cactus, princess of the night, queen of the night ) – This is a semi-epipiphyte cactus which is grown in the country for centuries. This was introduced via Acapulco, Mexico to Manila, Philippines during the later part of the galleon trade and one of the old time favorite among plant growers in the country. It’s blooming season normally coincide with the rainy season around late June to late October.

It is quite popular in many Asian countries Taiwan,Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, naturalized in China and many parts of the world.

A recent episode of Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho aired on GMA channel 7 last November 28, 2020 featured this cacti plant which is said to worth at least a million pesos if properly grown with blooming flowers. Some old time growers would give a blink of an eye and give their expert opinion that there are many growers of this particular species of cacti.

Plant stalls would sell their newly propagated stems between Php 100 to Php 450 depending on the lushness of growth. A popular online selling site sells a foot of this cacti for about Php 888 obviously targeting numerology or Filipino-Chinese buyers. Bigger specimen queen of the night would command a few hundreds of pesos or at least a few thousand of pesos. But not hundreds of thousands of pesos or millions of pesos as claimed by some FB or online sellers.

Almost every house within our area grew this kind of cacti from the mid-1970’s to early 1990’s. Whenever this cacti is in bloom. This had become some sort of viewing celebration and photo taking opportunities by people who grew this cacti. There are also some myths behind the blooming of this cacti as one wish can be granted thereby propagating the plant will help the owner brings luck.

Some believe that it can repel the negative vibes and even ailments.

Note: These are just a partial list of the 75 trendy plants for 2021 and 2022! Happy Growing to all .

Sources:

Personal Interview among plant center owners, Orchid and Plant Lovers of the Philippines FB, Mindanao Avenue Garden Center, Fairview Neopolitan Garden Center, Cartimar Garden Center, White Plains, Bulacan Garden, Arid and Aroid’s Farm, Quezon City Memorial Circle, Tabang -Guiguinto Plant growers, GreenScapes Garden Center– Novaliches, Farmer’s Garden Center -Cubao, Sidcor -Eaton Centris Sunday Market, Rona’s Garden.

Virtual Countdown 2021 at The Manila Hotel with Ms. Lea Salonga and Kuh Ledesma among others

The Manila Hotel which is iconic and historical will be hosting a virtual countdown for a cause with special performances led by Ms. Lea Salonga,Ms. Kuh Ledesma, world-renown soprano Ms. Rachelle Gerodias, Korean baritone Byeong-In Park, Mr. Richard Reynoso, University of the Philippine chorus and others to join The Manila Hotel in a virtual countdown for 2021.

Ms. Lea Salonga

Virtual Countdown at Manila Hotel

The Manila Hotel is known for their iconic countdown and having a chance to see the beautiful Manila bay during new year.

For every P3,500 in a single-receipt transaction from The Manila Hotel, including take out, dining (Cafe Ilang-Ilang, Lobby Lounge, Roma Salon, Cowrie Grill, and the Delicatessen), FIT room bookings, Prestige card membership, and promo purchase, guests will receive one (1) raffle ticket and an invitation to the Zoom party. Part of the proceeds will be donated to Manila Bulletin’s Bag of Hope, which aims to help displaced workers due to the pandemic.

Mechanics on How to Join

Minor prizes shall be drawn before 12:00 midnight while Major prizes shall be drawn after the countdown to 2021. To claim prizes, customers shall present their raffle ticket along with their take out or dine-in receipt.

This promo is open to all F&B takeout and dine-in transactions covering the period from December 16 to 31, 2020. Cut off period shall be at 6 p.m. on December 31, 2020.

Customers who have claimed raffle tickets shall likewise get an invitation to The Manila Hotel’s New Year’s Countdown to 2021 Zoom code. The customer shall be entitled to a bundle of party favors, which includes two (2) pieces of horns and a confetti popper. Dine-in guests shall have their party favors along with the raffle tickets/s while for takeout orders, party favors shall be sent together with their food/beverage orders and a raffle ticket.

Customers must be present during the Hotel’s New Year’s Countdown to 2021 via Zoom to win. Raffle draw will be done during intervals of the NY Countdown to 2021 program on December 31, from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. of January 1, 2021.

The raffle will be drawn and the winning ticket number shall be flashed on-screen live. The winner of a particular draw must show his/her raffle ticket on the screen to be tagged as the winner. The name of the winner must correspond with the name given and the control number of the raffle stub. To give chances to others, the winning number will be removed from the digital number generator for subsequent raffles to ensure there are no repeat winners.

Prizes may be claimed within 60 days from January 2, 2021. Unclaimed prizes after 60 days will be nullified. The winner will be allowed to send a representative to claim the prize with a written letter and a copy of the winner’s valid Government-issued ID.

Prizes

The top prize is an overnight stay in the world-famous MacArthur Suite where heads of state, royal guests, and famous personalities have stayed–a grand prize worth P500,000! There are other exciting prizes in store for the lucky ones.

Other major prizes are overnight accommodation to a Junior Suite (worth P60,000.00 nett) and overnight room accommodation to a Sunrise/Sunset Suite (P42,000.00 nett).

Minor prizes include VIP Prestige Card Membership (worth P9,000.00 nett), Two (2) Superior Deluxe Room (P22,000.00 nett), Two (2) Medium size Christmas Hamper (P4,600.00 nett), Three (3) Café Ilang-Ilang dinner for two (2) at P3,370.00 nett per person and Three (3) Café Ilang-Ilang lunch for two (2) at P2,725.00 nett per person, and Four (4) High tea at P880.00 nett.

To join the raffle, customer/guest must make a minimum purchase of P3,500.00 (net of discounts) per single receipt from any of our participating outlets: M Takeout, Café Ilang-Ilang, Lobby Lounge, or Deli. It shall entitle a customer to one (1) raffle ticket.

Do not forget to call them at 8527-0011 or 0998-9501912.

Blooms of Vanda Lamellata in our Backyard

Vanda lamellata is one of the most common native vandas and orchid in the country. It used to be commonly cultivated in many homes in northern parts of Metro Manila and in the provinces about 10 or 20 years ago.

Vanda lamellata, Dendrobium crumenatum ( dove / pigeon orchid), Cymbidium finlaysonianum, Aerides quinquevulnera , Phalaenopsis X Intermedia , Dendrobium anosmum and Dendrobium aphyllum (sanggumay, salome, lesser sanggumay, fairy sanggumay, dainty sanggumay , latigo) are just some of the native orchids which are regularly collected by native Aetas in the foothills of Sierra Madre range.

Some are found growing semi-naturalized in coconut plantations, acacia and fruit trees like macopa, mango trees, lansones, jack fruit among others.

While Vanda lamellata also found growing on limestone cliff, mangroves and lowland trees.

Vanda Lamellata

Vanda lamellata orchid is sometimes called mango orchid, since it is often seen growing in old mango trees, tamarid and even in large acacia trees.

Despite having small flowers, a grower is compensated for having a wonderful citrus smell. This is commonly peddled by ambulant vendors in many parts of Metro Manila and in surrounding provinces by inserting large Vanda or Mokara flowers.

They would trick some unsuspecting buyer believing that the Vanda is of hybrid origin and thus commanding higher prices.

Vanda lamellata attached to a Christmas palm by the author

This orchid species is found over a wide range of habitat from southern Ryukyus islands, Taiwan, Orchid island , Batanes, Marianas, Philippines and even in Borneo. The orchid thrives in high lighted areas or in full sun near the sea on cliffs or coastal beach forests on branches and tree trunks occuring at elevations of sea level to 300 meters.

There are different types or flower forms of these wonderful Vanda species. Among the highly collected ones are Vanda lamellata variety debutante, Vanda lamellata var. boxallii ( which is also found in Taiwan and Ryukus islands of Japan) Vanda lamellata var. calayana Valmayor & D.Tiu 1983, found in Babuyan and Calayan group of islands. Vanda lamellata var remediosae Ames & Quis. 1933 originally found in Southern parts of the country like Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan. Vanda lamellata variety flava is yellowish type, This type is highly coveted among orchid collectors since it is rare in cultivation.

There are different range of color forms and markings of Vanda lamellata.

Sources, References and Bibliographies:

The Complete Writings on Philippine Orchids Quisumbing

Orchidiana Philipiniana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984

The Orchids of the Philippines Cootes

Philippine Orchids by Reg S. Davis and Mona Liza Steiner, Vanda lamellata pages 225 to 227