PlantsMap

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5 plants worth knowing

Laos

Laos is a mountainous, landlocked country where forests still cover more than half the land – from monsoon deciduous forests on the Mekong lowlands to moist evergreen forests in the Annamite Range. On the Xieng Khouang and Bolaven plateaus the climate is cooler, favouring pine forests and coffee growing. The daily life of the Lao people follows the rhythm of the rice fields, and flowers play an important part in Buddhist ritual.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. Frangipani 1

    tree · National flower of Laos

    Frangipani

    Plumeria rubra

    White, waxy flowers with yellow centres and a sweet scent – a symbol of the sincerity and joy of life of the Lao people.
  2. Rice 2

    crop

    Rice

    Oryza sativa

    The Lao eat more sticky rice than anyone else in the world – it is served in woven baskets and eaten with the fingers.
  3. Arabica coffee 3

    crop

    Arabica coffee

    Coffea arabica

    The volcanic soils of the Bolaven Plateau produce a coffee that has earned Laos renown among connoisseurs.
  4. Khasi pine 4

    tree

    Khasi pine

    Pinus kesiya

    A tropical pine that forms woods on the mysterious Plain of Jars – a surprising sight in the very heart of Indochina.
  5. Dipterocarpus alatus 5

    tree

    Dipterocarpus alatus

    Dipterocarpus alatus

    A giant of the Mekong forests whose resin has for centuries been used to caulk boats and fuel torches.