Orchids are one of the largest of all plant families. They flourish worldwide, in both hemispheres, blooming from the equator to the poles. The range of their shapes, sizes, and colors is tremendous, but  orchids all share a very particular flower structure and idiosyncratic reproductive systems. The orchid’s special biological makeup makes it dependent on insects for pollination, and on specific fungi for nutrients.

    Like the rose, the orchid has long held a privileged place in man’s heart. Honored in the Far East for thousands of years, its praises were sung in the sixth century by Confucius, father of Chinese philosophy. In the ancient and medieval world, the orchids was prized for its medicinal uses. It wasn’t until the seventeenth century, however, that tropical orchids first made their way to Europe, as part of the many exotic treasures brought back by explorers. Ever since, Western botanists have ceaselessly studied, catalogued, cultivated, and experimented with this plant with this plant which made and still makes them dreams, amateurs and professional horticulturalists alike.