We’re excited to be back at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show as a core partner in the Orchid Conservation Chelsea exhibit, continuing work that has contributed to award-winning displays in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
This year, we’re once again joining botanical institutions, conservation organisations, researchers, and specialist growers from around the world to spotlight orchid conservation in China, one of the most orchid-rich regions on Earth.
Inside the Great Pavilion, this year’s exhibits explore not only the beauty of orchids but also the ecosystems, cultural history, and conservation work connected to them.
Why Orchid Conservation Matters
Orchids are the largest family of vascular plants on Earth, with more than 31,000 known species worldwide.
Their relationships with pollinators, fungi, and surrounding plant life are incredibly complex and often highly specialised. In many ecosystems, orchids act as indicators of environmental health; their presence signals stable, functioning habitats. That same sensitivity also makes them vulnerable.
Habitat destruction, deforestation, illegal collection, and climate change are driving significant declines in wild orchid populations across the globe. Many species now survive only in fragmented habitats or protected collections.
For us, Chelsea 2026 is about more than displaying beautiful plants. It’s about education, inspiration, and action. We'll be sharing real conservation stories and helping visitors better understand what protecting orchids in the wild actually means.
This Year’s Theme: The Orchids of China – Beauty & Conservation
China is home to an extraordinary diversity of native orchid species, from the mountainous forests of Yunnan to the limestone karsts of Guangxi. Many species are found nowhere else on Earth, and a significant number are now classified as threatened or critically endangered in the wild.
In recent years, conservation efforts across China have expanded significantly, with botanical gardens, research institutions, and local communities working together to protect habitats and develop robust ex-situ conservation programmes.
This year’s exhibit brings some of that work to Chelsea by combining scientific rigour with the quiet beauty these plants have inspired for centuries.
Orchids in Their Natural Habitat
The main exhibit presents a wide-ranging showcase of orchid species sourced from world-class institutions including Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Gardens.
Displayed within immersive, naturalistic settings, the exhibit also features giant bamboo and traditional Chinese tea plants to provide ecological context for the species on display.
Visitors will also be able to explore the OCC Genius Bar, where botanists, researchers, and conservationists will be available throughout the week for deeper conversations around orchid ecology, conservation, and field research.
The Chinese Scholar’s Study
The second exhibit offers a quieter and more intimate experience inspired by the orchids that influenced Confucius and shaped centuries of Chinese botanical culture.
Chinese Cymbidiums are displayed in decorative traditional pots, evoking the atmosphere of a scholar’s study and reflecting the deep cultural relationship between people and orchids throughout Chinese history.
More than a horticultural display, this space acts as a reminder that our connection with plants extends far beyond cultivation alone.
A Global Collaboration
Orchid Conservation Chelsea is built on year-long international partnerships.
This year’s exhibit brings together botanical gardens, universities, conservation charities, research scientists, and specialist growers all united by a shared commitment to understanding and protecting orchids in the wild.
Across four countries and more than 25 organisations, collaborators contribute everything from living plant collections and field research to pollinator science, education, community engagement, and ex-situ conservation programmes.
China
Hong Kong
United Kingdom
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
- Glasgow Botanic Garden
- Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Essex Wildlife Trust
- Bees for Development
- Eric Young Orchid Foundation
- Elite Orchids
- The Mathers Foundation
- Writhlington School
- GrowTropicals
United States of America
- American Orchid Society
- Chicago Botanic Garden
- Longwood Gardens
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
- Naples Botanical Garden
- Florida International University
- University of Florida
- University of Kentucky
- University of Wisconsin – River Falls
- Stetson University
- Illinois College
Lead Sponsor
- J.P. Wright & Company
Visit the Display
If you’re visiting Chelsea this year, we’d love for you to come and experience the exhibits in person inside the Great Pavilion.
Tickets are available through the official RHS website.