Sir Elton John made a special appearance at the 20th World Orchid Conference (20WOC) World Orchid Show in Singapore to be honoured for his contributions to music with his very own orchid, the Doritaenopsis Sir Elton John.
Sir Elton John with the orchid named after him, the Doritaenopsis Sir Elton John
Looking happy and relaxed, Sir Elton was comfortably dressed down in a tracksuit and his signature spectacles, and was accompanied by his husband David Furnish and their baby boy.
The honourary orchid was presented to Sir Elton by Dr. Kiat W. Tan, Chairman of 20WOC Organising Committee and CEO of Gardens by the Bay.
The orchid was presented to Sir Elton John by Dr. Kiat W. Tan, Chairman of 20WOC Organising Committee and CEO of Gardens by the Bay (above top). Sir Elton was accompanied by his husband David Furness and their baby boy (above)
The Doritaenopsis Sir Elton John orchid is a phalaenopsis hybrid (Doritaenopsis I-Hsin Black Jack × Doritaenopsis Ever Spring Diamond) with nine flowers on each “inflorescence” – this is the complete flowerhead of a plant including stems, stalks, bracts, and flower. It’s strongly coloured with magenta on white petals and a golden “forked lip”, so it matches Sir Elton’s larger-than-life personality. The orchid will be on show until November 20.
Other famous people who have been given the honour of having an orchid named after them include Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Jackie Chan and fashion designer Frida Giannini, the designer of Gucci.
The World Orchid Conference is known as the “Olympics of Orchids” and offers visitors more than 75 displays of the most spectacular orchids from around the world; there are 50,000 orchids of 5,000 varieties on show. The 20WOC runs until November 20 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre Basement 2. For more information about the 20WOC, go to www.20woc.com.sg
