Activity: visit to a Chiang Dao orchid collection
Kurt Keller
will show his
Orchid collection in Chiang Dao
Kurt Keller invites us to see and discuss orchids at his resort and home in Chiang Dao.
Meeting time for carpooling: Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011, at o8.15.
Meeting place for carpooling: Outside the Green Valley entrance in Mae Rim.
Expected driving time: 90 minutes.
Cost: if you bring your own car – no cost, if you wish to join a car, share the costs with the driver.
Registration: To plan for cars e-mail us at least two days in advance: info@dokmaigarden.co.th
Most welcome!
Kurt Keller, Ketsanee Seehamongkol & Eric Danell
Arundina graminifolia (Orchidaceae), bamboo orchid, is a native Thai terrestrial orchid preferring seasonally wet, even swampy, habitats. It should be grown in full sun on poor soils, and hence you may find it along roadsides. It is not considered endangered and may even benefit from human activities. Resembling a Cattleya orchid, it is cultivated as a garden ornamental in other tropical parts of the world where it has escaped and conquered new areas, even Hawaii and Jamaica. It is currently in blossom at Dokmai Garden in Chiang Mai.
Dokmai Dogma 
I wish I could join your trip and hopefully show you the fine stand of Dipterocarpus turbinatus trees ( Yang Daeng ยาง แดง ) along the road to the Chang Dao Cave.
If possible, please include this short excursion in your trip.
It would be interesting to see what orchids are growing on theis species which was once dominant along all the river plaing in the north. Yous may find some on the ground to rescue.
Also if you really want to invest in the future of orchid habitat and you see newly sprouted Yang tree seedlings please dig some out and bring back so we can grow them for planting. You may notic few if any young trees in this old stand. The reason for this is the local people burn the area every year and so the seedlings you collect would be killed in the next dry season.
If the roots are kept in a moist medium, say wet river sand, they should survive until next week when I can collect them to pot on. If you want to pot them yourselves all the better. Try to get a deep bag for this as the youg tree puts down a long tap root in the first year.