Farmers in Ban Pong, Ratchaburi, have developed varieties of "Ton Pro" or Wan Tub Mub, a herbaceous medicinal plant found throughout all regions of Thailand, exporting it abroad and generating income to support their families.
Ton Pro Various varieties with patterns and colors different from the original natural plants have all resulted from the breeding efforts of Mr. Suthongchai Ngaoatchariyawet, a farmer from Nakhon Chum Subdistrict, Ban Pong District, Ratchaburi Province. Nowadays, many visitors come to see and select plants to decorate gardens or to give as gifts and souvenirs to acquaintances. Moreover, these plants can be exported internationally, providing a good income to support families.
Mr. Suthongchai revealed that Wan Pro or Wan Tub Mub is a herbaceous plant found throughout every region of the country. Its young shoots can be eaten as a vegetable alongside chili paste, emitting a distinctive fragrance. It is a medicinal herb known for properties that relieve gas and indigestion, similar to galangal. Currently, besides being popular for garden decoration, it is favored by plant collectors and given as gifts on special occasions due to its beauty and status as an auspicious plant believed to protect against harm.
To propagate and develop Ton Pro varieties, the process begins by selecting parent plants with beautiful leaf shapes, clear patterns, and colors that differ from the natural original colors. If one plant has many patterns, another with a beautiful solid color may be chosen for crossbreeding to create new colors and patterns. Then, the male parent's flower petals are picked and torn, and tools are used to extract the male pollen from the flower base. This pollen is then applied to the female stigma located at the flower's mouth of the female parent. After about one month, seeds form and fall, producing seedlings at the base of the plant or between seed pods, which can be collected and spread over seedling pots.
From initial crossbreeding until the seedlings are mature enough to be separated into pots takes about 3 to 4 months. For care, watering once daily or placing water in a tray beneath the pot helps the plants grow and maintain their beauty year-round. Ton Pro is native to Asia and widely cultivated in neighboring countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam, where mostly wild native varieties are grown. In Thailand, breeding has produced mutations with unusual colors and diverse patterns. Popular varieties now include pointed leaf shapes, round leaves, pheasant patterns, variegated patterns, and tricolor patterns, making them highly sought after by international plant collectors who visit gardens to purchase them in large quantities.
At his garden, multiple varieties have been propagated, including Lady Pink with pinkish variegated leaves, Thong Siam with golden yellow leaves, Maha Heng with dark greenish-black leaves, and Saeng Jan with pale yellow-green leaves. Prices start from tens to thousands of baht depending on the color, pattern, and plant size. The garden also offers other ornamental plants such as bromeliads, Tillandsia, Euphorbia, Chok Kao Chan, and colored taro. Those interested in learning cultivation and propagation techniques or purchasing plants for garden decoration can inquire via the Facebook page "Suan Pom Kaew"