There are many plants that have a touch of the exotic about them, but there is really something truly special about The Orchid.
Orchids can be a very rewarding plant to grow whether you grow them in a greenhouse specially set up for the purpose or you just grow them on your window sill in your home or office. They are often still considered by many to be expensive and difficult to grow. This is not universally the case. Whilst there are some orchids that are more demanding and really only suited to those with a more specialised set up there are many more that can be grown by the average person in their own home.
The modern commercial growing methods have made orchid plants more affordable and they are now fairly easily obtainable from many stores, garden centers and even supermarkets. So there will be a variety that is just right for you, to suite your taste, your home or office and your budget.
The orchid family (orchidaceae) have in excess of 30,000 different species with more being discovered regularly as inroads are made into some of the world's most remote rainforests and mountain ranges. The majority of orchids grow naturally in Central and South America and the tropical regions of Asia but orchids can be found in most regions of the world except for Antarctica and the driest of deserts. Orchids can be found flourishing in all conditions and can be seen on the seashore, high up in mountain ranges above 11,500ft (3500m) and amazingly there is even a variety first discovered in Australia that spends their whole life cycle entirely underground.
Certain orchids appearing to "hang" high up in the rainforest canopy clinging to the tree branches where their aerial roots absorb moisture from the atmosphere. Others orchids can be found on the forest floor, or clinging to rocks or stones.
Orchid's flowers come in a huge range of colors from white through to yellow, blue, pink and red. Although some of the red or blue flowers can have a really dark hue there is no truly black orchid of legend. The blooms can last for several months to less than 24 hours depending upon species.
The size of the orchid can vary from the minute to the giant tiger orchid with flowers up to 8" (20 cm) across and with stems in excess of 6ft and sometime up to 10ft (300 cm) in cultivation. The Tiger orchid species is found in Malaysia, the Solomon Islands, Sumatra, the Philippines, Papua and New Guinea near streams and rivers. The world's smallest orchid plant was discovered as recently as 2009 in Ecuador and is only 2.1 mm wide.
Many an orchid is known for its exquisite fragrance, but orchids can have scents ranging from a truly delicate perfume , to something a little more full bodied and there are even some species of orchid that have a scent that is said to resemble that of rotting flesh.