Bestselling Orchids

Love orchids? There’s no reason not to. This ornamental plant has a delicate yet exotic beauty that never fails to enchant gardeners, plant lovers, florists and flower fans. Check out Lily’s Florist’s fantastic selection of orchid gifts and see how easy it is to share this highly coveted plant’s luxurious beauty.

Here are a few things you might want to know when shopping for orchid flower arrangements.

Orchid Varieties

Orchids have the largest variety of flowers with over 25,000 species. About ten thousand species of orchids can be found in the tropics. 

The most popular are Phalaenopsis orchids which are commonly known as moth orchids. This variety, along with Dendrobium and Cymbidium orchids (boat orchids, is what most florists use in flower arrangements. Another well-loved variety is Cattleya orchid that features freckled and bi-coloured blooms. Cattleya orchids are the ones usually used in corsages. 

The top-heavy Dendrobium phalaenopsis orchid, on the other hand, is the preferred orchid houseplant. Loved by beginner gardeners, Dendrobium orchids are a robust grower and can keep their foliage all year. They also produce long-lasting blooms that stay beautiful for at least a month.

Orchid Colours

Dendrobium orchids feature flowers in an array of colours from white to pink, purple, and green. Moth orchids appear in shades of pink, white, yellow, orange, purple and also green. Oncidium orchids often have flowers with showy contrasting markings like yellow and red, pink and red, and yellow and purple. Cymbidium orchids come in the usual white, pink, yellow and orange colours as well as in apricot, brown, burgundy and cream. 

Orchid Meaning & Symbolism

In the language of flowers, orchids symbolise luxury, magnificence, and rare beauty. Different colours of orchids also carry different meanings. White orchids represent purity, hope and refinement and are the popular choice when celebrating life like in the birth of a new baby or in death. Pink orchids convey affection and are deemed as the 14th wedding anniversary flower. Yellow orchids represent friendship and new beginnings while green orchids represent wishes of blessings and good fortune. Orchids in purple symbolise royalty, dignity and admiration. Red orchids symbolise strength and courage and can also represent passion and desire.

Growing Orchids

Most orchids prefer moist, well-draining conditions. You can use potting soil, fir bark, peat moss, rocks, cork, sand or charcoal to grow orchids. Remember that this plant only requires shallow planting and will thrive best under strong but indirect light. 

Caring for Orchids

With thousands of species, it is important to know what variety of orchid you have and the specific care it needs. Cymbidium orchids will last up to 6 weeks when stored in a cool place. If you receive Dendrobiums, completely submerge them in warm water for 10 minutes then cut ¼ inch from stem and place in a clean vase with clean water. Choose tall, slender vases for orchids for proper support.