The tale of the $20,000 orchid begins in Thailand. On a visit there in 1984 to find new species for his family’s nursery on Hawaii island, Mori­yasu Aka­tsuka purchased plants that had been harvested from the wild. It took three years for him to nurse them to optimal health.

One day, a Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum that he had bought in Thailand caught his eye. Its blossom was perfectly symmetrical with side petals that were horizontal instead of drooping. Mori­yasu showed the unusual specimen to a fellow orchid grower, who offered to buy it for $3,000 on the spot.

Moriyasu politely declined and instead entered the plant in the American Orchid Society’s 1991 Hilo Orchid Show, where judges awarded it 91 out of 100 points — the highest score ever given to a Paphiopedilum. That rare orchid, reputedly worth $20,000, can be seen in Aka­tsuka Orchid Gardens’ gift shop during its blooming season between May and August.

Over the past 40 years, the name Aka­tsuka has become synonymous with premium orchids. In the early 1970s, Mitsuo Aka­tsuka, Mori­yasu’s older brother, was growing azaleas, cymbidiums and houseplants in Japan but wanted to expand his business.

"My uncle loved Hawaii, so he decided to open a nursery here in 1974," said Operations Manager Take­shi Aka­tsuka. "The cool weather in Volcano is ideal for growing orchids, and he thought a location right on the highway was great because people driving to and from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park wouldn’t miss it."

Moriyasu, Takeshi’s dad, moved from Japan to Hawaii two years later to become the company’s general manager. He bought the business in 1991 and has been heading it ever since. From just one greenhouse, Aka­­tsuka Orchid Gardens has grown to encompass 13 greenhouses. Covering two of the property’s seven acres, they harbor some 200,000 orchid plants in various stages of development.

Takeshi grew up doing everything from weeding, watering and transplanting orchids to packing, shipping and handling sales. After earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Washington, he moved back to Hawaii island four years ago to join the family business. He played an instrumental role in developing and implementing a guided greenhouse tour.

"Two years ago the Boys and Girls Club in Pahoa came for a tour as a summer activity," Take­shi said. "We wanted them to have fun but also learn something, so we came up with a trivia game, took them into a couple of our greenhouses and let them transplant an orchid. After they left, we said, ‘That was a wonderful experience! Why don’t we offer it to the public?’"

The hourlong tour launched a year later, in May 2013. Usually led by Take­shi, it begins with background about the company and the orchid cultivation process. Participants see the reservoir, a miniature lake that’s 92 feet in diameter and 7 feet at its deepest point. Rainwater collected there is used to water the plants.

In the breeding greenhouse, Take­shi explains how orchids are pollinated and points out the 50 "mother plants" that his father uses to create hybrids. He also walks guests around the greenhouse where baby plants are nurtured in sterile flasks for the first 18 months. The tour wraps up with a transplanting activity (those traveling to Hawaii and mainland destinations can take their little orchid with them).

Akatsuka Orchid Gardens specializes in cattleyas, the vivid, showy orchids that are often used in corsages. They grow from seed to first bloom in five to six years; half that time is the norm for other types.

Most orchid plants bloom only once or twice a year. The longevity of the flowers differs by type: Cattleyas last about a month; for example, while Phalaenopsis can last three months.

Moriyasu is known for his beautiful cattleya hybrids, many of which are named after friends and family. The Legacy Club allows customers to honor loved ones by buying the naming rights for his original hybrids.

"We started the club in 1998, the same year that Kristi Yama­gu­chi, the Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, visited us," Take­shi said. "My father offered to name her choice of two new hybrids after her. She picked the yellow one, and he named the lavender one after her charity, Always Dream. We still sell both of those orchids along with many other Legacy Club varieties."

More than 1,000 blooming orchids add their fragrance and rich colors to the showroom. Seventy percent of them have been grown on site; the others come from local growers who specialize in species other than cattleya.

"Many visitors don’t expect to see such quantity and variety," Take­shi said. "They often tell us that they want to move to Hawaii and work for us so they can be around our orchids. That’s the ultimate compliment!"

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.