Orchid Trivia | 30 facts about the amazing flower

The orchid is a stunning flower, that is often given as a part of a bouquet, that is offered as a special gift.

Let’s find out more about it!

1. The orchids are a large family of flowering plants, the Orchidaceae.
2. They are herbaceous monocots.
3. There are between 22,000 and 26,000 species in 880 genera.
4. They make up between 6–11% of all seed plants.
5. Orchids can be found in almost every country in the world except for Antarctica.
6. People have grown orchids for a 5 number of years.
7. They grow orchids for show, for science, or for food (for example, vanilla).
8. Some orchids have very special ways of pollination.
9. For example, the Lady’s Slipper can trap insects and make them pollinate the flower.
10. Another instance is the Austrian orchid, which grows underground and is pollinated by ants.
11. Many orchids are myco-heterotrophs: their roots need fungi to break down organic material for them to absorb.
12. Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants.
13. They have also been around the longest as they are one of the oldest flowers in existence. Since varieties of orchids are found all over the world, it’s accepted that orchids were in existence prior to the separation of the continents.
14. There are more than 25,000 documented orchid species throughout the world.
15. This means the number of orchids on the planet is four times the number of birds and four times the number of mammals! That’s A LOT of orchids!!
16. Although generally thought of as a tropical plant, orchids grow on every continent.
17. From the Arctic Circle to the southernmost jungle (except Antarctica). They’re valued and thought of as beautiful across continents and cultures with varying meanings and customs surrounding their existence.
18. The smallest orchid is the size of a dime.
19. This amazing orchid is small enough to fit in a doll house!
20. The vanilla orchid (and its vanilla bean) is the only commercially grown orchid crop (Vanilla planifolia).Orchids yummy enough to eat and cook with!
21. Orchids have the tiniest seeds in the world.
22. There can be up to 3 million seeds in a single orchid seedpod.
23. You’ll never see them though, they are the size of a speck of dust and are only visible under a microscope. Part of the reason for their small size is that they lack an endosperm and have no nutrients within. They require contact with a particular fungus to germinate and grow. We find this fact particularly interesting!
24. The plant’s first flowers won’t appear until at least 5 to 7 years after germination. The houseplants you find in stores are often a decade old. From duck to swan!
25. Some orchid flowers bloom for mere hours, while others last up to half a year.
26. Phaleanopsis orchids are versatile enough to last in a cut flower arrangement longer than most. That’s why we like Phalaenopsis orchids the best!
27. Orchid flowers always grow upside down when mature.
28. The orchid can have enough blooms to be heavy enough for the orchid to hang down. Gravity always wins!
29. Orchid plants can live to be up to 100 years old.
30. Orchids have become one of the most popular houseplants of all time.