Fun Orchid Facts
  •  They are the largest family of flowering plants with over 30,000 natural occuring species
  •  Orchids can produce hybrids between species and related genera 
  • Orchids are found in all climatic regions except desserts
  • There is an orchid from Peru and Ecuador that attaches to cacti and uses the channels in their ribs to collect dew
  • Orchids have a specialized photozynthetic pathway called CAM. This is similar to cacti and other succulent plants that allow them to close their stomates (leaf pores) during the day and re-open them at night when it is cooler. This helps them survive in arrid climates by retaining precious moisture.
  • The national flower of Venezuela is an orchid
  • Orchids are an ancient group of plants related to lillies
  • Orchid seeds are the size of dust
  • It takes six years to train an orchid judge
  • The Gammataphyllum Speciousum can reach 25 feet in height with leaves up to 2 and 1/2 feet long. The stalk can reach 8 feet with over 100 flowers, six inches across. It grows high above the trees in rain forests.
  • The Altissima from Peru is reported to have reached 44 feet high
  • Platystele Jungemanniodes is the smallest orchid only 1/4 inch tall with flowers 1/100 of an inch in diameter
  • Kew Gardens has documented an orchid that has lived over 100 years
  • Terrestrial orchids can lay dormant for up to 15 years before blooming
  • Angraecum Sesquipedale from Madagascar has a spur length of one and 1/2 feet. The Hawk moth has a tongue long enough to pollinate this plant.
  • A new species the Planthantera Yosemitenis was discovered in 2007 in Yosemite National Park
  • Vanilla comes from orchids. Madagascar is now the biggest producer of vanilla beans where they do not have bees to pollinate and must pollinate by hand. This orchid arrived in the western hemisphere in 1515
  • The first cattleya orchid to bloom in Europe in 1818 was almost thrown away, but for the botanist Dr. Cattleya that saw its uniqueness. It had been used as packaging for other plants
  • Orchids employ trickery to attract insects. They are known to give off fragrances that resemble pheremones of insects
  •  The Australian Hammer orchid's labellum (toungue) resembles a female wasp which entices the male to mate and helps pollination
  •  Yellow Donkey Orchids have an infrared spot on their labellum which resembles the spot on Fabiacea plants. This spot attracts insects that would normally only feed on the Fabiacea plants increasing their change of pollination
Now, If you took this all in you should have a new perspective on the miraculous orchid!
From a quarter inch tall to 44 feet tall, it is a unique, amazing, adaptable plant.
 
Growing orchids is easy! Get the best reference guide here
 
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God bless
Marty Petrizza