For many people, orchids are beautiful but intimidating plants, admired from a distance and often dismissed as expensive. Yet, for members of the Kenya Orchid Society, they are an accessible hobby that rewards patience, brings people together and offers years of enjoyment.
At the Kenya Orchid Society Annual Show, held at Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi on October 30, 2026, hundreds of orchids were displayed in an array of colours, shapes and sizes.
The exhibition brought together seasoned growers, beginners and curious visitors, offering an opportunity to appreciate the plants and learn what it takes to grow them successfully.
For Anne Eriksson, who has been growing orchids for 11 years, the hobby began while she was still employed. It has since become an important part of her retirement.
“It has been a nice way to combine what I would call a passion with family time, because my husband is also into orchids,” she says.
When Anne started, experienced growers mentored her through the basics. She approached it like any other hobby and believes more Kenyans should do the same.
“Many Kenyans think that orchids are a hobby for a select few, but in my view, it’s a hobby like any other,” she says.
Anne Eriksson, poses for a photo during the Kenya Orchid Society annual show at Sarit Expo Center Nairobi on October 30, 2026.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
One common misconception is that an orchid will continue flowering indefinitely after purchase. Anne says buyers often take home a beautiful plant expecting it to maintain the same display throughout the year.
“Once the flower withers, they expect another one to come up immediately. That is not how it works.”
Orchids require patience. Some flower once a year, others twice, while a few bloom more frequently. Expecting a continuous display can leave beginners disappointed and ready to give up.
For Anne, however, that patience is part of the attraction.
“Orchids have taught me to be extremely patient. Also, you’ve got to treat each plant individually as opposed to generalising.”
That individual attention begins with understanding the plant’s growing conditions. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is treating an orchid like an ordinary garden flower.
“One of the worst enemies for orchids is overwatering. It’s better to underwater an orchid than to overwater it. If you overwater an orchid, it will probably rot from the roots, and once this happens, that is the beginning of the end.”
Additionally, orchids need light to thrive, although the amount varies depending on the species. Keeping a plant in a dark corner of the living room can deprive it of an essential ingredient, while excessive direct sunlight can scorch its leaves.
Anne has not bought cut flowers in five years. ” I grow different orchids, and they bloom at different times. I always have flowers and a therapeutic fragrance in my home.”
Most of her plants remain in the greenhouse or shade house, but she occasionally brings flowering ones indoors. Their blooms can last weeks, sometimes months.
“Cut flowers, if you are lucky, will last a week,” she says.
She also sees orchids as a worthwhile long-term investment. A plant bought for Sh4,000, she says, could last 10 to 15 years with proper care and flower twice a year.
Her sister-in-law has Phalaenopsis orchids that have been in her collection for 20 years. Anne’s own prized plant is an Ansellia africana, acquired from an experienced grower eight years ago.
“It blooms only once a year, but when it does, it makes a statement. You just can’t ignore it,” she says with a laugh.
Rajul Patel, chairperson of the Kenya Orchid Society, says orchids should not be dismissed as expensive decorative plants.
“Now, if you think about it, a Phalaenopsis orchid actually lasts you for four months. Its flowers last for four months, giving you ambience and a heavenly fragrance. By the time you buy flowers every week for four months, you have spent a lot more than Sh5,000.”
The Society’s wider ambition is to challenge the perception that orchids are reserved for people with deep pockets.
“We aim to demystify that orchids are just for people who can afford them,” Rajul says.
Chairperson of Kenya Orchid Society, Rajul Patel, poses for a photo during the Kenya Orchid Society annual show at Sarit Expo Center Nairobi on October 30, 2026. Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
She also values the community the hobby creates. Members come from different age groups, races and professional backgrounds. One of the exhibitors at the show was an eight-year-old boy.
“I have found a family in the Orchid Society. I believe orchids bring people together,” she says.
The Society’s interest extends beyond cultivated hybrids to Kenya’s indigenous orchids. According to Rajul, Kenya has about 270 indigenous species. The first two exhibits at the show were dedicated to indigenous East African orchids, including species native to Kenya.
Visitors often ask where they can find these plants growing in the wild. The Society deliberately keeps that information private to protect their natural habitats.
Some species are already extinct, while others are protected and restricted from international trade. Rajul hopes that propagation and tissue culture for commercial sale will help reduce pressure on wild populations.
Indigenous orchids look quite different from the imported hybrids commonly sold in shops and supermarkets.
“The local ones are not the big, flat, glossy Phalaenopsis you see in supermarkets that last four months on your table. They are often smaller and more delicate, with subtle colours and intricate lips and spurs you only see up close. They do not shout. The imported ones, especially Cattleyas and Phalaenopsis hybrids, are bred for show, size, colour and shelf life,” she explains.
According to Rajul, there is no single favourite orchid among Kenyan growers. Personal taste, growing experience and the memories attached to individual plants all influence what collectors value.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What I like is very different from what my fellow orchid hobbyists like. A lot of orchids have sentimental value to each grower. They represent personal triumph, so I can’t say there is one favourite orchid.”
Helena Rame, the Society’s secretary, has grown orchids for 17 years and is a judge under the Society’s rules, which are adopted from the American Orchid Society.
The system allows Kenyan judges to participate in international exhibitions. In March this year, four Kenyan judges participated in the World Orchid Conference in Dresden, Germany.
Helena Rame, poses for a photo during the Kenya Orchid Society annual show at Sarit Expo Center, Nairobi, on October 30, 2026.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
“Our judging society is well-known in the wider world. We draw a lot of interest to Kenyan indigenous species,” says Helena, who has also judged in orchid shows in Taiwan and Johannesburg.
Every year, visitors leave the expo expressing interest in joining the Society. The Society runs annual beginners’ courses covering potting, watering and fertilising.
“Of course, it’s a lot of theory, but before people start growing themselves and making their own mistakes, nothing will happen. You have to have your own orchid, make your own mistakes, be patient, learn and experiment. Only then will you succeed.”
She is also candid about the possibility of losing plants. “Anybody who wants to get into this hobby has to understand that losses will happen. If you consistently lose a certain genus of orchid, take a break and experiment with another genus. But always do your research.”
Even experienced growers have costly disappointments. Helena recalls buying a Cattleya species from Venezuela for about $600 (Sh78,000). She cared for it for six years before it died.
“It’s an expensive hobby, yes, but you can still have a small collection of plants that you get as divisions from your friends, for example. It doesn’t mean that you have to be super wealthy just to start your small collection.”
Sharing is, in fact, one of the pleasures of belonging to the Society.
“If you nurture one plant well, multiply it, you can exchange it with your friend, and you won’t have to pay anything,” she says.
For anyone considering taking up the hobby, the growers’ advice is to start with one plant, understand its needs and give it time.
