Orchid History

An extinct species of bee was found trapped in amber carrying pollen of a previously unknown orchid. This evidence indicates that one hundred million years ago insects were active pollinators of orchids. In other words, orchids may have co-existed with dinosaurs. Evolution led to the demise of many plants and animals, but the orchid flourished, thriving on every continent except Antarctica. They have adapted to live in all kinds of environments – mountains, bogs, grasslands, and rain forests, with at least 35,000 orchid species now populating the planet. The orchid family is not only the largest but also one of the most diverse plant flowering families in the world.

The first written reference to orchids was in 551 B.C. by the Chinese philosopher Confucius in a poem where he noted their fragrance. Around 300 BC a Greek philosopher and scientist mentions orchids, and later, around 60 AD, a Greek botanist, physician, and pharmacologist mentions orchids. Orchids, in those times, were believed to have medicinal properties, one of them being an aphrodisiac. And about 2,000 years ago Greeks gave them the name orchis which means testicle, because of their form. For centuries, the orchid has been a symbol of love, luxury, and beauty. To the early Greeks, the orchid represented virility, the Chinese called it the plant of the ‘king’s fragrance’, and during the Middle Ages the orchid was used in love potions.

Serious orchid collecting began in the 18th century when, in 1731, an English botanist received a dried tuber appearing to have life in it. He potted, nurtured, and revived the plant and the next year brought forth handsome pink and rose colored flowers – Bletia purpurea. This was the first tropical orchid to flower in England, foreshadowing a mania for orchids that nearly rivaled the tulip madness that swept the Netherlands during the 17th century. Forests were stripped of millions of orchids, putting many on endangered species lists. A single orchid sold for thousands of dollars. Cultivation of orchids started in earnest in the 19th century. At that time orchids were brought to Europe by companies or individuals who financed collecting expeditions. They commissioned professional collectors who traveled for months all over the world in search of showy new species.

For millions of years, the orchid family has thrived and expanded, defying evolution, nature, and the exploitation of man.