Our plants

    Orquideas Tropicales was established in 1987 in a countryside location near Panama City. Orchid plants are nursery grown under shade cloth or plastic roofs, or tied to living trees in a 1-hectare area. Every species and hybrid is grown with the proper media, light and humidity for optimum growth. We have been propagating orchids from seeds in artificial culture media since 1992. Many of our lab-grown species are endangered in their habitat, such as Peristeria elata, which is exported as a CITES category IA species (Appendix 1 species, artificially propagated).

   We have exported orchids to countries in the American continent, Caribbean islands, Europe, Asia and South Africa since 1997. From 2000 to 2007 we sold orchids at the Redlands International Orchid Festival, as well as other orchid shows in Miami, Puerto Rico and Japan. 

    We sell plants at several orchid show venues in Panama, such as the Panama City Show (September), the Orchid Fair in Boquete (April), the Holy Ghost Orchid Fair in Las Minas, Herrera (September), and the Chitré Orchid Society Show (October).

     We offer healthy, blooming or near blooming size plants. When younger sizes are offered this is specified in the price list.

     Orchid species are our main business. There are about 150 species offered, with a large variety of plant sizes and flowers (from miniatures to big reed-type Sobralia and Oerstedella), to supply our client’s preferences. Some of these species are endemic to Panama.

     Orchid hybrids are offered in the price list. Many are unique to our breeding program, such as Peristeria Aves de Paz, which is not offered anywhere else. We register all of our hybrids with the Royal Horticultural Society, England.

  Zamia species with their distinctive leaves and reproductive cones are a unique, ancient family of plants and are quite different from flowering plants. Zamias are either males or females. We offer Zamia plants propagated from seeds. There are several Zamias endemic to Panama. These plants are included in CITES. Zamias are adaptable plants; they thrive in shady and sunny places. Their leaves are long-lived and attractive, with young leaves of some species in bronze or white changing to green as they mature.

   Michael Pollan, prominent writer, and author of an orchid article published by the National Geographic September 2009 issue, interviewed Dr Gaspar Silvera at his nursery. His perceptions are described in this article. We supplied the Coryanthes in bloom photographed by Christian Ziegler, also published in this article.