Established in Singapore in 1928, the Orchid Society of South East Asia promotes the science and practice of orchid culture, orchid conservation, hybridization and cultivation in tropical lowland Asia.

As one of the oldest orchid societies in Asia, OSSEA has, over the last century, participated in dramatic changes in orchid discoveries in the region, including breakthroughs in propagation and hybridisation methods which, combined with recent discoveries in R&D, have contributed to the success of a thriving cut-flower industry today.

OSSEA members meet monthly at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, to attend talks and bring quality plants for judging, to participate in forum discussions, buy plants at vendor sales, enjoy a tea break and lucky draw. To keep in touch with its members, many of whom live overseas, OSSEA publishes the bi-monthly Bulletin, which features a calendar of events, articles of interest, including a colour feature of the previous months’ winning plants. OSSEA also publishes the annual full colour Malayan Orchid Review, featuring many articles of interest including species discoveries, taxonomy, hybridization & cultivation traits, and the propagation of plants in various Asia-Pacific regions, besides regular stories on regional shows, new hybrids, awards and book reviews.

As befits an established society, OSSEA also presents internationally-recognised awards to outstanding plants, and these awards are duly recorded in registers maintained by Royal Horticultural Society. Members may also avail themselves of our extensive library.

A major activity in OSSEA’s calendar is the co-hosting of the Singapore Orchid Show in conjunction with National Parks Board’s biennial Singapore Garden Festival. Participants hail from over 20 countries, mainly from the region. OSSEA was also co-host of the highly successful 20th World Orchid Conference in Nov 2011, the second time that Singapore was host to the WOC. The first was in 1963, at the 4th WOC.

Other activities include participating in overseas shows, with members travelling frequently to Sanya in China, Tainan in Taiwan, Okinawa, Bangkok, Surabaya and several cities in Malaysia. Their voluntary services and honorary expenses help greatly in putting Singapore on the world orchid map. Occasional conducted tours to Singapore and Malaysian nurseries are also held for the benefit of members. To generate further interest in orchids, OSSEA members also give regular public talks on cultivation aspects to hobbyists at Singapore Botanic Garden, HortPark and community clubs.

The effective and smooth running of OSSEA is only made possible with the untiring support of our committee and various sub-committees, including members who have generously contributed to OSSEA’s activities. Membership is open to all with a subscription payment of S$60 per annum for Singapore residents and S$35 for the member’s spouse. The payment is $30 for non-residents. and S$20 for the spouse. You can sign up as a member via the Membership section. 

We hope to see all new members at our Monthly Meetings!