Plant Fair in Bangkok, with Max Aperture on 50mm

Thailand's climate favors to exotic plants, and the country has a developed gardening industry; these two facts makes Thai parks and plant markets spectacular to those whose hearts are open to beauty of the greenery as mine.

I visit mid-week Chatuchak Plant Market from time to time and December plant fair in Suanluang Rama IX Park when I am in Bangkok at that time. But there are also events like one I attended on August 13, 2023, House and Garden Fair (บ้านเเละสวน) in BITEC, a huge exhibition center at Bangna BTS.

The first thing that impressed me there: they were selling large olive trees, very old and pretty. I have not often seen these trees in my life, and it was a surprise to come across them in tropical Bangkok.

60 baht / 1.8$ for a blooming cactus (Lobivia?)

Many rose shrubs, hydroponic systems with growing marijuana, dozens of varieties of bananas, water lilies, but as soon as I saw shelves with cacti, I was carried away into the world of succulents, and nothing could pull me out of there anymore.

Love these purple spikes. Only 60 baht / 1.8$ for one, 100 baht for 2.

u/SpecificLimp in r/cactus: Echinocereus rigidissimus var. rubrispinus

I have no answer as to why these essentially green rocks - I mean all cacti in general - seem so fascinating to me.

u/SpecificLimp in r/cactus: Discocactus horstii

Something bizarre and cute for 100 baht / 3$ each.

u/SpecificLimp in r/cactus: Pseudolithos migiurtinus

Love this shape. Gymnos behind, they are usual here in Bangkok.

Another cactus I don't know the name of... 😞

When I see such cuties, my nomadic life seems miserable to me.

u/SpecificLimp in r/cactus: Frailea asterioides

Looks like Mammillaria, an adorable one.

Famous peyote (Lophophora).

Love this shade, love the story behind the cactus. Reading Castaneda was fun once in the distant past.

Just an awesome look, no idea what the cactus it is...

u/SpecificLimp in r/cactus: Some kind of crested Mammillaria

There are many orchids in Thailand including ones in parks and even on trees along some city streets. Gradually you begin to perceive them as something ordinary, not attracting attention. But when the colors go off scale, of course, it's hard not to admire.

Tillandsia is a genus of plants absorbing water and most nutrients through leaves with the minimal root system "transformed into crampons without any power of absorption" (wiki).

In the two images above, there are actually two species of Tillandsia in every pot: one on the top and another is below. "Beards" aren't roots but foliage of separate plants.

As many other houseplants in Thailand, Tillandsia isn't a local species but one from the Americas.

Beeds of an epiphyte Dischidia, a relative of Hoya.

An aquatic fern of Salvinia genus.

It was the last day of the event so vendors started selling for lower prices a couple of hours before the closing time. These ones were our choices for Wanut's tiny balcony garden:

100 baht (3 USD) for 4 of them. Some of them will die of rains, some of them will survive 😁 Let's see how it will go.

P.S. I've updated the post with the names of some plants which I was told in r/cactus on Reddit.

More stories from #Thailand are ahead! Check out the previous ones on my personal Pinmapple map.

I took the images on August 13, 2023 with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G on a full frame Nikon D750 in Bangkok, Thailand.