Uses and History of the Orchid, Nature's Largest Flower Family

Orchids are one of the more beautiful flowers in the world, though making that generalization may not quite be accurate. They have an astonishing variety of different types and variations, with new ones being cross-bred, invented and discovered all the time.

Phalaenopsis Orchid from Bloomex, and elegant,
modern and trendy decorative flower.

Orchids are able to grow in many climates, owing to their versatility and variation of types. The flowers are used in several walks of life, from food to fragrance, and date back tens of millions of years.

Here are some interesting notes about the history and uses of the orchid.

- There are between about 22,000 and 26,000 different species of orchids, and the orchid family accounts for 6 to 11% of all seed plants. It may be the largest flower family that there is.

- Vanilla, a popular flavouring, is derived from the Vanilla Orchid. While modern vanilla extract is usually derived synthetically, the natural plant is still grown and sold specifically for culinary purposes in some countries.

- The history of the Orchid is currently believed to date back to something between 76 and 100 million years ago, dating back to the Dinosaur era. (Although they may date back even further than that, given recent discoveries that flowers are now thought to have evolved 100 million years earlier than previously thought.)

- Orchids are used in perfumes and aromatherapy applications.

- They have been used for medicinal purposes throughout history, from the Ancient Greeks to modern times as a Chinese medicinal herbal remedy.

7 Fascinating Facts About The Iris

The Iris is a popular flower with Bloomex customers and it’s easy to see why. Versatile and beautiful, the Iris is generally hardy and able to grow in cooler climates. It also doesn’t require a large amount of cultivation, generally more able to survive and thrive without human intervention than many other delicate-looking flowers.

The Classic Blue Iris Bouquet

They’re found naturally in most parts of the world, and in fact can be found growing on every continent except for Australia. The flower has a rich history, from Ancient Greece, to Ancient Egypt, through colonial-era France and into modern times. Likely due to its toughness, the Iris has persisted as an exotic, gorgeous flowering plant that today makes for a well-admired flower as part of bouquets or a garden.

Here are some more interesting facts about the Iris.

1. Irises are named for the Greek Goddess Iris, due to the many different colours that they come in; Iris is the Greek word for rainbow, and the Goddess was the personification of a rainbow.
2. The Iris is a state flower of Tennessee, and the town of Greeneville in that state holds an annual Iris festival.
3. The fleur-de-lis, an emblem of Quebec and Cajun culture is a stylized version of an Iris. The Iris is also the official flower of the province of Quebec. As well, a fleur-de-lis is the symbol of the New Orleans Saints NFL football team.
4. Other stylized Iris’ used in symbolism include the flag of Brussels, Belgium, and the coat-of-arms for the Ukraine.
5. The Yellow Iris is used in water purification systems, where the roots of the plant is planted in lava-

   

   The provincial flag of Quebec
   features stylized Irises. 

   stone.
6. Irises are used in oils for modern aromatherapy, was commonly used in perfumes and medicine during ancient times, and are used as flavouring in some brands of modern Gins.
7. The Iris species consists of upwards of 300 variations, divided generally into 6 subspecies for the sake of classification.

Check out our Iris page and send some for less today, with on-time delivery and low prices available throughout Canada, the United States and Australia.