A visit to the park reveals that the Philippines has the reputation of being the richest source of orchids in the world where there are 944 identified species in 130 genera with 74 percent of the species found only in the Philippines. Orchid blooms are seasonal, so depending on the time of year there could be a chance to see Vanda sanderiana , the waling-waling that is known as the Queen of Philippine Orchids, the Grammtophyllum walisii , called the King of Philippine Orchids whose arrangement of flowers could span up to 2 meters long. Palm Beach is another stop in the walk through the garden where the landscape groups a collection of palms featuring the anahaw , chosen as the national leaf of the Philippines because of its beauty and symmetry. Other palms in the collection include the Fishtail, Blue Palm, Pinanga, Majestic Palm and the MacArthur Palm. There is an impressive collection of vandas, cultivated orchids that are considered to be the most magnificent genus of the orchid family.
Vandas bloom with large, long-living flowers that bloom several times a year.
Although vandas are ordinary orchids seen everywhere in the country, the visual impact of seeing so many gathered together makes an unforgettable impression. The flitting colors of butterfly wings in the Butterfly Pavilion give the illusion of flowers taking flight. A rainforest within the enclosed pavilion places butterflies in their natural habitat where city dwellers can observe how they evolve from eggs to caterpillars, then to sleeping pupae until they their wings develop into artwork of natural forms and colors. In a city like Manila where there are so few places where jaded urbanites can reclaim contact with nature instead of experiencing air-conditioned nature in the window displays of mall flower shops, the Orchidarium deserves a visit. Escape the summer heat, take a walk around the plants at the Orchidarium, see butterflies, go fishing or rock wall climbing, or just sit on the deck of Lush Life restaurant and shut Manila out for a few hours.