Image collection of Orchids

The history of Orchids

The Orchidaceae are a diverse and widespread family of flowering plants , with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant, commonly knows as the orchid family . Along with the Asteraceae , they are one of the two largest families of flowering plants. The Orchidaceae have about 28,000 currently accepted species , distributed in about 763 genera . [2] [3] The determination of which family is larger is still under debate, because verified data on the members of such enormous families are continually in flux. Regardless, the number of orchid species is nearly equal to the number of bony fishes , more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species. The family encompasses about 6–11% of all seed plants . [4] The largest genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobiu...

Growing Orchids for Beginners

So you want an introduction to growing orchids for beginners? You're in for an adventure, since growing orchids is addictive! I'll give you some "gateway" orchid care instructions below. Once you know how to grow orchids, they'll thrive for you, as most are easy to care for. They'll grow bigger, make more flowers each year, and you'll be far less likely to kill them and feel guilty about it. Growing orchids is easy! If you imitate a plant's natural habitat, it will thrive. There are very many types of orchids , coming from a wide variety of different habitats (on every continent except Antarctica!) so there is almost certainly an orchid that likes the conditions you are able to provide. The most commonly available orchids, such as the Moth Orchid, Phalaenopsis , are so popular because they do well in typical homes. I give links to specific orchid care instructions for the most common types below , at the bottom of this page. You might also want to s...

Tharuka orchids

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