There are around 33,000 known species and over 200,000 hybrids of orchids on this planet. Named after the Greek word ‘orchis’, orchids originated in the tropical and the semi-tropical regions of Asia, South and Central America and the U.K. These beautiful flowers can easily last up to 2 or 3 weeks cut, and well over a month on the plant, making it one of the most preferred plants for decoration and therefore grown across the globe.

Not all orchids are breathtakingly beautiful. Some are strange in shape and size, and some are even ugly. The seeds from this plant are the smallest among all flowering plants, yet there are some species of orchids which can grow up to 20 meters long. This amazing flower is grown both at home and at large scale for commercial use. Even though these come in all shapes and sizes, blue orchids are conspicuous by their absence.

When growing them, planters have to create the same level of temperature which the plant is used to at its place of origin. Too much deviation from the temperature can kill the plant or result in poor-quality flowers. The plant takes around five to seven years to grow, but when matured can stay in bloom up to six months a year. In the wild, this beautiful flower can be found growing in every part of the world except Antarctica. In cool regions, orchids grow in the ground, but in the tropics a variety of orchids grow high on the tree branches as epiphytes.

The uses of orchids are many. They are widely used for ornamental floral arrangements due to their durability in the cut form, and the array of available color choices. A species of orchid growing in America, ‘vanilla orchid’, is a popular source of natural vanilla flavoring. All these features make the orchid one of the most prized flowering plants in the world.