Orchids are graceful and elegant flowers with a simple and rare beauty. It is an exotic flower that captivates the attention of the beholder, with an enigmatic magnetism. These beautiful flowers have proven to have the largest variations with 20,000 to 30,000 species of orchids growing in every continent except the Antarctica.
With the fact that orchids are versatile and well liked, it is no surprise to note that orchids are the most highly prized of ornamental plants and they are also the most popular houseplants. It is also interesting to note that orchids are the flowers to commemorate the 14 th wedding anniversary.
Here at FlowerAdvisor, we offer a great variety of orchids to suit your happy occasion. Before you make your choice from these orchid arrangements, it'll be interesting to learn more about these exotic blooms, wouldn't it?
Meanings of orchids
Orchids in general signify wealth, strength, love as well as a rare and delicate beauty.
A symbol of virility
In Ancient Greece, orchids signify virility and were used to determine the gender of an unborn child. It was strongly believed by Greek women that if the father of the unborn child ate large, new orchid tubers, the baby will be a boy. On the other hand, should the mother of the unborn child were to eat small orchid tubers, the baby would be a girl.
A symbol of luxury
In Victoria n England, the popularity of orchid collections rose, so much so that orchids came to signify the luxury and status of an individual in society.
Orchids for different occasions
Each type of orchid has a different personality and thus is suited to different occasions and uses.
For example, Dendrobium orchids are most often used as cut flowers in tropical floral arrangements.
Cymbidium orchids on the other hand were once considered as the official orchid for Mother's Day corsages.
It is a little known fact but Cattelya orchids were widely popular in the 1940s and 1950s among brides, who would have these orchids in their hand bouquets and as part of their wedding celebration.
Lastly, Phalaenopsis orchids or better known as “Butterfly” orchids is now a popular choice for modern floral arrangement due to its graceful simplicity and elegance.
Orchids and their additional benefits
Edible orchids
Some orchids are edible, and are often used as garnish.
However the most common of the edible orchids is the Vanilla orchid which is used to make the popular flavoring, vanilla extract.
The surrounding pulps within the seed pod as well as the seeds themselves are used to make this commercially profitable product.
Healing and protective properties
Orchids are known to possess healing as well as protective properties that actually wards off diseases.
It has been said that the Aztecs drank a mixture of the vanilla orchid and chocolate to give them power and strengths.
The Chinese however believed that orchids are a key ingredient in curing coughs and lung-related illnesses.
