The National Orchid Garden was opened on 20th October 1995 by Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew. It is situated on the highest hill in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. 3-ha of carefully landscaped slopes provide a setting for 60,000 orchid plans comprising of 400 species and more than 2000 hybrids.

The distinctive feature of the National Orchid Garden is its design concept which presents the display of plants in four separate colours zones over most of its areas. The “spring” zone comprises of bright and lively shades of gold, yellow and cream. The “summer” zone comprises of major tones of strong reds and pink. The “autumn” zone comprises of matured shades and the “winter” zone comprises of whites and cool blues. The colour zones were achieved by a colourful blend of selected trees, shrubs, herbs and orchids (mostly hybrids) with matching foliage and floral colours.

Other attractions include the VIP Orchid Garden which showcases outstanding orchids named after state visitors from within and outside the country. The Tan Hoon Siang Misthouse features orchids display against a backdrop of cultural décor and the Yuen-Ping McNiece Bromeliad collection with its display of over 20,000 plants representing over 800 types in the Pineapple Family. The new soon-to-be opened Orchid Cool House will feature plants from the cooler tropical highlands. This new feature will extend to the range of orchid species that can be displayed in the National Orchid Garden.