The Orchidaceae family encompasses over 800 genera and more than 35,000 species, making it the second-largest plant family in the world. Orchids, known for their elegant and noble qualities, are one of China’s four famous flowers and enjoy a wide international following.
The Ghost Orchid, for example, is a globally recognized premium orchid variety. Common Chinese orchids include the Spring Orchid, the Fragrant Orchid, the Jian Orchid, the Ink Orchid, and the Lotus Petal Orchid, while popular foreign orchids comprise the Butterfly Orchid, the Cattleya Orchid, and the Dendrobium Orchid.
In the following text, I will introduce the top ten types of orchids. If you’re interested in learning more about orchids, make sure to bookmark this article.
The Butterfly Orchid, as its name suggests, is a beautiful orchid with petals resembling a butterfly. This flower thrives in humid conditions and can bloom for 2-3 months, with its vibrant and striking colors making it particularly popular among modern consumers.
Known as the “Queen of Foreign Orchids,” it is one of the most famous and popular orchid varieties.
Originally from subtropical rainforest regions, there are over seventy native species discovered to date, found across a range of tropical islands, such as Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar, Indian Ocean islands, the Malay Peninsula, Nanyang Islands, the Philippines, Taiwan, and others.
Internationally recognized as a premium orchid variety, the Ghost Orchid is named for its spectral appearance with its eerily white color and phantom-like movement in the wind.
It grows in deep mountain forests or wild swamps, using the decomposing leaves of beech trees as a growth base.
Its blooming season is from June to August, but the Ghost Orchid rarely flowers, making it incredibly rare and thus highly prized. It is primarily found in Southeast Asia, including India, Thailand, and Indonesia, but can also be found on Pacific islands.
Due to its rarity and the extreme difficulty of cultivation, the Ghost Orchid is listed in the Washington Convention, making the collection of wild specimens illegal.
The Cattleya Orchid, as exotic as its name suggests, is native to the tropical regions of America but is also cultivated in China. It often grows on trees in forests or on rocks beneath the forest canopy, favoring warm, humid conditions with ample sunlight.
As a type of ornamental orchid, the Cattleya usually blooms once a year for about three weeks, generally in winter or early spring, making it a precious New Year’s flower with high commercial value.
Due to its bright, beautiful flowers and long blooming period, it is loved worldwide and is known as the “Queen of Orchids.” The Cattleya is also a suitable orchid variety for beginners due to its relatively “friendly” growing conditions.
The Clivia, also known as the Sword-Leaf Lily or Large-Leaf Lily, is native to southern Africa. It grows under trees, and thus prefers neither extreme heat nor cold, favoring a semi-shaded and humid environment.
The Clivia’s flowering period lasts from 30-50 days, primarily in the winter and spring, and it also blooms around the New Year and Spring Festival, making it highly ornamental and a famous greenhouse flower.
Known as a symbol of wealth and nobility, it is one of the most popular types of orchids.
The Lotus Petal Orchid is a member of the Orchidaceae family. It thrives in well-vegetated mountainous regions and prefers shady environments. It is mainly found in areas such as Taiwan, the northwestern part of Yunnan, and the southwestern part of Sichuan in China.
The plant’s elegant form, diverse flower shapes, and rich colors bloom around New Year’s and the Spring Festival, making it popular in China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
The Lotus Petal Orchid, a traditional Chinese flower and a key member of the national orchids, is one of the most active varieties in the current orchid market, with not only increasing transaction volumes but also steadily rising prices.
Also known as Grass Orchid, the Spring Orchid is a petite plant, featuring green or pale brownish-yellow flowers with a mild fragrance.
It blooms from January to March and likes to grow in places where the sunlight filters through small woods on mountains.
It is primarily found in Japan, the southern part of the Korean peninsula, and China. The Spring Orchid has a long cultivation history in China and is one of the most favored orchid varieties.
It is also one of the oldest flowers, known for its elegance, delicacy, and subtle fragrance, and its beautifully formed leaves make it a symbol of all things lovely.
Also known as the Chinese Orchid, Nine Sons Orchid, or Summer Orchid, the Fragrant Orchid is one of the ten most prized orchids and a terrestrial herbaceous plant in the Orchidaceae family.
Originating from China, it is one of the most widely cultivated and popular orchids. The Fragrant Orchid prefers humid, well-draining locations with good light, and its flowers are usually yellowish-green with dark purple spots and vein patterns.
It blooms from March to May, and its robust form and rich, subtle fragrance attract numerous orchid enthusiasts.
It is the most cold and heat-tolerant among national orchids. The wild Fragrant Orchid is a rare species in China and is also a second-level nationally protected wild species.
Also known as the New Year Orchid, the Black Orchid is a terrestrial plant from the Orchidaceae family. It usually has dark purple or purplish-brown petals with lighter-colored lips, and its colors vary greatly.
It features a dazzling appearance, graceful form, elegant charm, and rich fragrance. The Black Orchid grows under trees, in shrub forests, or beside streams in moist but well-draining shaded areas, at altitudes of 300-2000 meters.
It’s mainly distributed in China, India, Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
Also known as the Four Seasons Orchid, the Jian Orchid originates from Fujian, China, where it also gets its name. It is widely cultivated across China and is one of the most popular national orchids. It has extremely high horticultural and medicinal value.
The Jian Orchid enjoys growing in deep mountain valleys with good water drainage and retention. It can bloom twice a year, from June to October.
Its refreshing fragrance during the summer bloom can clear one’s mind. When used medicinally, it can invigorate the blood, moisten the lungs, and relieve coughs and pain.
The Dendrobium Orchid is mainly found in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, with the majority in Southwest China, South China, and Taiwan. It often grows on tree trunks or in tree hollows. Its flowers are diverse in color, with white and purple being the main hues.
The Dendrobium blooms in the spring, has strong cold resistance, and the flowering period lasts about six months. Known as Shihu in traditional Chinese medicine, it has the effect of clearing heat and transforming essence.
The Dendrobium Orchid, with its resilient nature and friendly demeanor, is known as the “Father’s Flower.” Due to its beautiful colors and high ornamental value, it has become a popularly cultivated orchid variety.
Peggie was once a high school mathematics teacher, but she set aside her chalkboard and textbooks to follow her lifelong passion for flowers. After years of dedication and learning, she not only established a thriving flower shop but also founded this blog, “Flowers Library”. If you have any questions or wish to learn more about flowers, feel free to contact Peggie.
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