PYIN Oo Lwin, well known as a prime area for growing a wide variety of vegetables and flowers, will in the coming months see the blossoming of the eye-catching zygopetalum, an orchid of Brazilian origin.

U Swe Myint, the owner of the Pyin Oo Lwin Nursery, said he bought zygopetalum seeds at a flower exhibition in California in 1999. When he brought them back to Myanmar he found that the cool climate of Pyin Oo Lwin, which is more than 3000 feet above sea level, provided perfect growing conditions.

“The orchid can only grow in chilly regions, so places that are hotter than Pyin Oo Lwin are inappropriate,” he said, adding that apart from climatic requirements, growing zygopetalum was very easy because they readily took root if planted correctly.

The first step is to plant the seeds in a pot filled with soil. After two months the roots will be strong enough to move the plant to a new pot whose soil is mixed with charcoal and coconut husks.

“The zygopetalum likes 50 per cent shade and 50 per cent sunlight, and they should be watered once every three days,” U Swe Myint said.

Three seeds planted in one pot will produce 10 to 15 flowers, which bloom in April and live for two months.

U Swe Myint said growing the orchid requires only a small initial investment but results in long-term profit, as the orchids produce seeds that can be replanted the following year.

“The flowers sell for at least K500, and a single seed sells for about the same amount,” he said. “A pot with flowers grown from six seeds can get about K20,000 at the market.”

He said the zygopetalum is particularly popular among brides, who wear them at their weddings, and students, who wear at convocation ceremonies, and he expects their popularity to grow even more when the next flowers bloom in April.