The Orchid is both refined and wild, full of mystery and stories, some we believe, some we want to believe. The Orchid herself is not always an honest story teller.
Orchid mimicry is one of her favorite stories, as well as her most important. She matches the colors of birds, bees, and butterflies for the purpose of pollination, so that her line may continue.
Other stories
In ancient Greece it was believed that orchids were a symbol of fertility and virility.
If the father ate large, new tubers, the child would be male; if the mother ate small tubers, the child would be female.
In Victorian England orchids were synonymous with luxury. At that time the plants could only be found in tropical far away places. To acquire even one took a good deal of money.
Orchids stand for the symbol of love and affection. She can grow nearly anywhere and has the resistance power to bloom under any condition, that makes the Orchid a wonderful symbol of love. During the Victorian Era, it was said, gifting a flower such as ther Orchid, one found with much difficulty, means the love has deeper affections and emotions.
The Aztecs were said to drink a mixture of Vanilla orchid and chocolate to give them power and strength.
Confucius compared the orchid flower to the superior man and its scent to the pleasures of friendship
Orchids are available in many colors, a few of the more common colors and their traditional meanings are listed below.
Pink: The Pink Orchid represents innocence, femininity, grace, joy and happiness. It also the traditional flower given for the celebration of the 14th and 28th wedding anniversary.
Purple: The Purple Orchid represents royalty, respect, admiration and dignity Their stunning blooms are ideal to show someone that you admire them and have respect for them.
Red: Red Orchids, like red roses represent passion, desire and love. Red Orchids are also symbolic of courage and strength.
White: White Orchids signify innocence, elegance and beauty. White also signifies reverence and humility.
Yellow: Yellow Orchids represent joy and new beginnings. This orchid colour is also the traditional symbol for friendship.
Orange: The Orange Orchid represents pride, enthusiasm and boldness.
Green: The Green Orchid represents health, nature, life and longevity. This orchid is also thought to represent good fortune and happy blessings.
Orchids grow naturally in every color but true blue, there are blue tinted orchids. These orchids represent rarity.
Orchids are the largest family of blooming flowers with over 25,000 species and over 100,000 varieties. They are frequently grown as houseplants, or added to floral displays. Wild orchids grow worldwide and can be found on every continent except Antarctica. These flowers have earned the reputation as difficult to grow, notably due to their need for filtered light and high relative humidity. Many varieties, such as the moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) are surprisingly easy to grow as a houseplant.
The Moth orchids, earned their name from mistaken identity. When Swedish Naturalist Peter Osbeck spied them in his field glasses while visiting Java in the mid-1750s, he thought they were a cluster of moths.
Although the Chinese have cultivated orchids for over 3,000 years, it was not until the 1600s that visitors to the Far East brought orchids to Europe. By 1802 orchids were raised from seed and by 1856, the first cultivated hybrid was developed.
Orchids have been used as a source of food, medicines, religious charms, adhesives, perfumes, straw, and flavorings, vanilla being the most widespread, as well as aphrodisiacs.
Locally, Gardners Florist in Ortega, has the best and most extensive collection of Orchids available in Jacksonville.