Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants.

They have also been around the longest as they are one of the oldest flowers in existence. Since varieties of orchids are found all over the world, it’s accepted that orchids were in existence prior to the separation of the continents.

There are more than 25,000 documented orchid species throughout the world. This means the number of orchids on the planet is four times the number of birds and four times the number of mammals!

Although generally thought of as tropical plants, orchids grow on every continent.

The smallest orchid is the size of a dime. It is small enough to fit in a dollhouse.

The vanilla orchid (and its vanilla bean) is the only commercially grown orchid crop (Vanilla planifolia).

Orchids have the tiniest seeds in the world.

This makes them a challenge to grow and cultivate. They take forever to sprout and actually turn into a plant! Growing orchids from seeds is only for the patient and very green-thumbed.

There can be up to 3 million seeds in a single orchid seedpod.

You’ll never see them though; they are the size of a speck of dust and are only visible under a microscope. Part of the reason for their small size is that they lack an endosperm and have no nutrients within. They require contact with a particular fungus to germinate and grow.

It takes patience to grow an orchid.The plant’s first flowers won’t appear until at least five to seven years after germination. The houseplants you find in stores are often a decade old.

Some orchid flowers bloom for mere hours, while others last up to half-a-year. Phaleanopsis orchids are versatile enough to last in a cut flower arrangement longer than most.

Orchid flowers always grow upside down when mature.

The orchid can have enough blooms to be heavy enough for the orchid to hang down.

Orchid plants can live to be up to 100 years old.

Orchids have become one of the most popular houseplants of all time.