Orchid Flowers

Boatnical Name: Cymbidium
Meaning: Testicle
Cultivation: Full sun with well-drained soil
Colors: All colors except blue
Uses: In dried arrangements and medicinal uses
Regions: Hilly regions of India, USA, Phillipines


Cultivation of Orchid
Orchid Flowers have two patterns of growth.

Monopodial : The main stem grows indefinitely by one main bud in the center. The stem grows straight up and wide aerial roots generally grow from where stem and leaf meet at the base of the stem. They need lots of moisture and usually need 50 to 70 % shade. They generally do well in very warm lightly shaded conditions.

Sympodial: They have a main axis, but it grows mostly horizontally. They have several swollen shoots that are connected to each other via the main axis.

Drying of Orchid
Orchid Flowers are picked up when almost in full bloom.These flowers are dried by freeze drying. The flowers after cutting are hydrated and treated with a specific solution. They are then freezed for about 14 days in a freeze dry machine. The machine slowly extracts moisture from fresh flowers at extremely low temperatures. Moisture leaves the floral in shape and its size intact. Each flower is then sealed with a post treatment to protect them from fading and re-absorbing moisture.

Uses of Orchid Flowers
The beauty, perfume, and medicinal uses have been known since last few years. They are used in dried arrangements in moss, wreaths, sachets and topiaries. The dried roots are used as antidepressants. They are used in cough syrups. Dried leaves have many applications in sweet or savory dishes and teas. Dried orchids are widely used in for medicinal and decorative purposes.