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What are orchids?

The orchid family is one of the largest groups of flowering plants on the planet. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica and in almost every conceivable habitat. With around 30,000 species growing in the wild and well over 120,000 man-made hybrids there is no shortage of choice in the orchid world!

The highest numbers of orchids grow in the rainforests, loving the humidity and shade provided by these environments. Not all orchids like hot conditions, though and many need cooler climates, as where they grow is at high altitudes in the mountains where the temperatures can drop very low at night.

As forest dwelling plants, many orchids grow as ‘epiphytes’, which means that they grow on the trees, clinging on with thick aerial roots and storing water in either fleshy leaves or thickened stems called ‘pseudobulbs’. There are also many orchids that grow in the ground, including our own native British species and these are known as ‘terrestrials’. Some orchids even grow on rocks and these are called ‘lithophytes’.

The orchid family is certainly the most diverse group of plants with so many various shapes, sizes, colours and patterns of their stunning and often extraordinary blooms. Whatever your taste in flowers, there is certainly something for everyone in the orchid kingdom.