Global Orchid team wins Chelsea Gold
An international collaboration of orchid conservationists, scientists and growers from the UK, China and the USA has been awarded a Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 for its large-scale conservation-focused displays.
Led by Orchid Conservation Chelsea, the exhibits highlighted the beauty, diversity and vulnerability of one of the world’s most threatened plant families.
At the centre of the display, “The Orchids of China – Beauty & Conservation” introduced visitors to rare species seldom seen in the UK, including orchids from Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden. The exhibit aimed to raise awareness of the growing threats facing wild orchid populations, including habitat loss, climate change and illegal collection.
Orchids are the largest family of vascular plants globally, with more than 31,000 known species. Many depend on highly specialised relationships with fungi and pollinators, making them important indicators of ecosystem health but also highly vulnerable to environmental change.
A major highlight of the show saw Cymbidium faberi Guanding receive the first Chelsea-awarded RHS Award of Merit on the partnership’s sister exhibit, “The Chinese Scholar’s Study,” which celebrated orchids that have inspired Chinese culture for centuries.
More than 60 scientists, botanists and conservation specialists contributed to the displays and public-facing “Genius Bar,” engaging visitors in discussions around orchid conservation, biodiversity and pollinator protection throughout show week.
Jacob James, founder of GrowTropicals, described the collaboration as an important opportunity to share a global conservation message on one of horticulture’s biggest stages.
Following the show, many of the exhibited plants will join the UK National Plant Collection of Cymbidiums in Sussex, managed by The Mathers Foundation as part of ongoing ex situ conservation work.
With many thanks to our Global Partners:
China
- Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Gardens
Hong Kong
- Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden
United Kingdom
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Glasgow Botanic Garden
- Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Essex Wildlife Trust
- Bees for Development
- Eric Young Orchid Foundation
- Elite Orchids
- The Mathers Foundation
- Wrightington School
- GrowTropicals
United States of America
Lead sponsor – J.P. Wright & Company
- Florida International University
- University of Florida
- Chicago Botanic Garden
- Longwood Gardens
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
- Naples Botanical Garden
- University of Wisconsin – River Falls
- Illinois College