Orchids are a diverse range of plants with elegant and intriguing flowers. They’ve been around for centuries, attracting royal admirers, gardeners, and even Victorian orchid hunters. There’s no denying the beauty of orchids. But here are a few of the quirky orchid facts that make us love them even more.
5 Facts about Orchids
- Orchids mirror people. Orchids are one of the few plants with bilateral symmetry, meaning that—just like the human face—if you were to draw a line down the middle, the two sides would be mirror images.
- Orchids get bees buzzing. Many orchids are shaped and colored to mimic the appearance of bees. Bees buzz around the flower, mistaking it for a potential mate, and when they fly off in search of another, they take the pollen with them.
- Orchids are tasty. Did you know that vanilla is a species of orchid? We wouldn’t recommend snacking on other kinds of orchid (the flowers are edible, but often give people indigestion), but this popular variety tastes as good as it smells.
- They come in all sizes. The smallest orchid bloom is as small as a penny, while the largest recorded orchid is roughly the size of a small car.
- People hunted orchids in Victorian times. The English were mad about orchids in the 1800’s, and many sought to capitalize on the craze. Orchid hunting was dangerous business, but for many the reward was worth it. A single orchid could be sold for as much as $1000, which equals about $24,390 in current times.
Are you an orchid-lover? Orchiata grows the best orchids. Give your orchids more water and nutrients with Orchiata from Besgrow.
