Xanthostemon verdugonianus (Rak Raek Phob) with its beautiful red flowers catched our eyes in mid August 2009, while we´ve been to a Chiang Mai Orchid exhibition to train our new photographer “Chocolate”. It was the first time for him to work on his own with the Canon 400 D and we all been impresssed about his results. We found the Xanthostemon verdugonianus at a street vendor and been astonished about the very high price for the just 50 cm high plant. He wanted 3000.- Thai Baht, but didn´t even know the name of the beauty. We started a research in the internet, but without any result. We thought, it must be a very new hybrid.

Flower Photography © Orchids-Flowers.com
Image: Xanthostemon verdugonianus (Rak Raek Phob)
Photographer: Posantor “Chocolate” Saelie

Just a few days ago we stumbled upon the yellow variation at the Kamthieng flower market in Chiang Mai and could figure out the Thai name: Rak Raek Phob. What a lovely name: Love at the first meeting. Now our Thai Photographers started a research again and got the result for the yellow “Rak Raek Phob” Xanthostemon chrysanthus also called, Yellow Penda, a tree, native to Australia, which can reach a hight until 15 meters. Now it was just a small step to indentify the red variation.
There was just two different species, the Red Penda (Xanthostemon Youngi), also native to Australia and our Rak Raek Phob: Xanthostemon verdugonianus. Xanthostemon verdugonianus is endemic to the Philippines and a threatened species because of habitat destruction. Xanthostemon verdugonianus pertains to the Myrtaceae family.