Pairat Songpanich

 

 

 

Mr. Pairat Songpanich was inducted to the IWGS Hall of Fame in July at the symposium held in St. Charles, Illinois. He learned how to cross hardy waterlilies in Thailand under the guidance of Dr. Slearmlarp Wasuwat, an IWGS founding member and member of the IWGS Hall of Fame. Trials were run to perfect how to preserve the seed of hardy waterlilies. Techniques were developed to grow new seedlings in the tropics. Eventually these methods would lead Pairat to the intersubgeneric hybridization between nymphaea and brachyceras. Ultimately the century old goal of creating a hardy blue waterlily was realized in 2007 with the selection Nymphaea ‘Siam Blue Hardy’. This noteworthy achievement surpassed all before him who had attempted to achieve this.

Mr. Pairat Songpanich’s hybrids have received many awards in recent years.

Nymphaea ‘Tan-khwan’ was awarded IWGS Best New Hardy Waterlily in 2006. The following year, Nymphaea ‘Miss Siam’ received the same honor from the IWGS. At the IWGS Thai Symposium in 2007 Pairat’s waterlily Nymphaea

‘Tan-khwan’ was awarded IWGS Best New Hardy Waterlily in 2006. The following year, ‘Miss Siam’ received the same honor from the IWGS. At the IWGS Thai Symposium in 2007 Pairat’s waterlily

‘Tanpong’ received the 1st reward trophy from her Royal Majesty. He also received the 2nd reward trophy for Nymphaea ‘Rattana Ubol’ and the 3rd reward trophy from her Royal Majesty for Nymphaea ‘Miss Siam’. In 2007 Nymphaea ‘Pink Ribbon’ was voted number one in the online Waterlily Beauty Contest by members of Water Gardeners International (WGI). Pairat generously agreed that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of N. ‘Pink Ribbon’ will support breast cancer charities.

In December of 2008, Pairat Songpanich was honored with The Best Plant Breeders Award from The Plant Breeding and Multiplication Society of Thailand. In 2009 the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew requested 9 cultivars for a display in the gardens. Also in 2009, the Thailand Post Company Limited has honored Mr. Songpanich with 2 postage stamps which are illustrated with

Nymphaea ‘Tanpong’ and Nymphaea ‘Tan-khwan’.

‘Tanpong’ and ‘Tan-khwan’.

Not only does Pairat excel in the art of growing and propagating waterlilies but he is also an award winning amateur photographer. Pairat has won 9 international photo awards and 54 photo awards within Thailand. Among his favorite subjects to photograph are orchids and as you might have guessed waterlilies. He continues to lecture, discuss and hybridize so the future is wide open for further achievements.

 

 

Written by Tim Davis