New Phalaenopsis named after four-time Eurovision participant Edsilia Rombley

Four-time Eurovision participant Edsilia Rombley from the Netherlands has been honoured with a potted Phalaenopsis named after her. She attended a ceremony at the world-famous spring gardens Keukenhof in Lisse on 20 April to pour champagne over the exotic beauty.

Few performers are as versatile a singer as 45-year-old Amsterdam-born Edsilia Rombley. Her vocals fit Pop, Soul, RnB and Jazz music, and she can slide effortlessly from singing a ballad to performing an upbeat song.

Rombley is known for having participated four times in the Eurovision Song Contest: in 1998 and 2007 as a singer and 2020 and 2021 as a host of the alternative Eurovision show ‘Europe Shines a Light’ and as co-host of the grand finale respectively.

Her best-known song is Hemel en Aarde, with which she finished fourth during the 43rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Birmingham in 1998.

The new Phalaenopsis is a breed of Dutch orchid and Anthurium breeder and propagator Anthura.

In his speech, the company’s commercial director Marco van Herk referenced how despite its exotic looks, Phalaenopsis is typically a Dutch-greenhouse-grown product, with the Netherlands accounting for more than 90 per cent of the plant’s commercial production in Europe.

Phalaenopsis’ Rombley’ shows off rays of candy colours in a pattern that mixes in with magenta red and vanilla yellow. The newly launched variety has an outstanding shelf life of four months.

Van Herk said he feels honoured that Edsilia is willing to have the new Phalaenopsis named in her honour, adding that no plant reflects the singer’s talent, energy and cheeriness better. Upon his remarks, Rombley, known for her high-energy performance, acclaimed: “We are a match!’. Rombley revealed that she is a fan of orchids which she called powerful and beautiful. The singer frequently uses orchids as a gift for friends or family.

Left to right, Edsilia Rombley, Royal FloraHolland’s orchid market analyst Cor Middelkoop and Anthura’s commercial director Marco van Herk.

The new Phalaenopsis Rombley occupies pride of place in the Keukenhof’s Beatrix pavilion that hosts an exquisite orchid and anthurium show. Keukenhof runs until 14 May 2023.

For more information: www.keukenhof.nl