The orchid is the world's most diverse plant with species numbering between 30,000 and 40,000, in over 800 genre! There are over 25,000 species of orchids that grow naturally. With a new orchid being found every month it would be a challenge to list them all in a book. Orchids come from Asia, the Americas and several warm islands.
The most common orchid is the phalaenopsis. This is the orchard found for sale at stores at malls, florists, etc.
The Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis is the worst smelling of all orchids. It has a frightful-appearing bloom up close but who would wish to get that close.
This orchid is native to New Guinea.
Many, many years ago the writer had a professor who raised orchids. It was considered a very rare treat to see his large collection. Now they can be purchased in many stores and many people raise one or more.
Orchids come in a wide range of tints, hues, and colors but you will never, no, never see a blue one.
Get ready to celebrate! April is National Orchid Month.
Orchids have been used as a dye.
There is a false belief that orchids are parasites because they are found on top of branches of trees and are often hanging down from them. They are not parasites; they are actually epiphytes. That means "on top of." They find themselves on top of limbs because they require air. From the air they received moisture and nutriments via the tiny scales that cover the plant. They do not live off a plant as mistletoe does. Humidity in a house is vital for the health of an orchid that is found indoors.
The Dendrobium spectacle has a flower that looks like a rotten or wilted flower but has a sweet scent. These are from the swampy areas of Papua, New Guinea.
The ancient Greeks knew how to determine the sex of a baby. If a couple wished for a baby boy the father would eat a large orchid tuber. Yum! If the couple wished for a baby girl the mother would eat a small orchid tuber. Yummi! It never failed--we suppose. Surely the Spartans, way down south in Peloponnesus, only allowed the father to eat very large orchid tubers. They needed boys to become soldiers to train constantly, to fight and to die.
While we are in ancient Greece we realized that they associated the orchid with lust, wealth and greed, as well as virility. For our purposes we will simply enjoy their beauty.
Singapore is the only country in the world with an orchid as its national flower. It is the Vanda Miss Juaquim orchid.
H. G. Wells wrote The Flowering of the Strange Orchid.
The most common orchid is the phalaenopsis. This is the orchard found for sale at stores at malls, florists, etc.
The Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis is the worst smelling of all orchids. It has a frightful-appearing bloom up close but who would wish to get that close.
This orchid is native to New Guinea.
Many, many years ago the writer had a professor who raised orchids. It was considered a very rare treat to see his large collection. Now they can be purchased in many stores and many people raise one or more.
Orchids come in a wide range of tints, hues, and colors but you will never, no, never see a blue one.
Get ready to celebrate! April is National Orchid Month.
Orchids have been used as a dye.
There is a false belief that orchids are parasites because they are found on top of branches of trees and are often hanging down from them. They are not parasites; they are actually epiphytes. That means "on top of." They find themselves on top of limbs because they require air. From the air they received moisture and nutriments via the tiny scales that cover the plant. They do not live off a plant as mistletoe does. Humidity in a house is vital for the health of an orchid that is found indoors.
The Dendrobium spectacle has a flower that looks like a rotten or wilted flower but has a sweet scent. These are from the swampy areas of Papua, New Guinea.
The ancient Greeks knew how to determine the sex of a baby. If a couple wished for a baby boy the father would eat a large orchid tuber. Yum! If the couple wished for a baby girl the mother would eat a small orchid tuber. Yummi! It never failed--we suppose. Surely the Spartans, way down south in Peloponnesus, only allowed the father to eat very large orchid tubers. They needed boys to become soldiers to train constantly, to fight and to die.
While we are in ancient Greece we realized that they associated the orchid with lust, wealth and greed, as well as virility. For our purposes we will simply enjoy their beauty.
Singapore is the only country in the world with an orchid as its national flower. It is the Vanda Miss Juaquim orchid.
H. G. Wells wrote The Flowering of the Strange Orchid.