1 Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants. They have also been around the longest as they are some of the oldest flowers in existence.

2 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!

3 Although generally thought of as a tropical plant, orchids grow on every continent.

4 The smallest orchid is the size of a dime. This amazing orchid is small enough to fit in a doll house!

5 The vanilla orchid is the only commercially grown orchid crop (Vanilla planifolia). Orchids yummy enough to eat and cook with!

6 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.

7 There can be up to three 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.

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

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

10 Orchid flowers always grow upside down when mature. The orchid can have enough blooms to be heavy enough for the orchid to hang down.

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

12 Orchids have become one of the most popular house plants of all time.

Information from: plainviewpure.com/12-incredible-orchid-facts-no-one-ever-told/