Orchid Flower – Meaning, Symbolism and Colors

Flowers come in various shapes, sizes and colors but almost everyone agrees that Orchids have something special about them. These unusual flowers are universal symbols of love and fertility and have been an important symbol in human culture, art and literature.

The flower symbolism (floriography) can be used to express our feelings. Flowers should always be carefully selected for people we love and special occasions. Every country has its own customs, and before you gift someone flowers you should get to know these customs a little bit better. One flower, regardless of species, should be gifted to someone you like, 3 or 5 flowers will be enough for birthdays or anniversaries, and for more important occasions you can gift a larger bouquet.

When the bouquet is too large or extravagant, this is a sign of poor taste. For an intimate dinner in two, it is best to choose a flower arrangement with 2 candles that will make atmosphere more romantic. You should never wear intense perfume flowers to the hospital, take a fruit basket for this occasion because vitamins and bright colors will accelerate the recovery of patients and bring optimism back to them.

Orchid flowers can win us over at first glance. Their beauty and interesting appearance makes us want one in our home. They have become even more popular in recent years and they are often used as decoration in events and in homes, since they can stay fresh for quite a while. If you ever wanted to know more about this flower’s symbolism, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.

Meaning of the Orchid flower

Every flower has its own specific meaning we can connect to. Sometimes we can determine this hidden meaning by looking at a flower. For example, roses are symbols of love and we can easily guess that because they are always gifted for Valentine’s Day and anniversaries. Orchid flower has several key meanings and they can be taken in consideration when you are giving someone a beautiful bouquet of Orchid flowers.

Orchid flower meanings are:

• Fertility
• Charm
• Love
• Beauty
• Refinement

Fertility – Orchid flowers symbolize fertility. They are perfect flowers to use as decoration on baptisms or on baby showers. You can even gift an Orchid flower to a person who is trying to make a baby or wishing to expand the family. They are great gifts for mother’s to be and also brides.

Charm – Orchid flower is a perfect gift for someone you like. If you don’t want to gift this person roses or other common flowers, you can break the rules a little by gifting a gorgeous bouquet of Orchids. You will definitely send a clear message and win this person over with your unique approach.

Love – Besides being symbols of fertility and charm, Orchid flower is also a symbol of love. You can always surprise your partner with a beautiful Orchid flower and show him or her how much love you have. They are great substitutions for roses and tulips, if you want to surprise your partner but you want to be a bit more unique.

Beauty – Just like the flower itself, Orchids are symbols of beauty. They are great gifts for someone you love and consider to be beautiful inside and out. Many cultures around the globe considered Orchids to be symbols of beauty and often associate someone’s beauty to this unique flower.

Refinement – They are also symbols of refinement, and since they were mostly beloved by royal families they got this characteristic and symbolic meaning.

Thoughtfulness – This symbolic meaning can be given to almost every flower, since the mere act of giving someone a flower can be taken as an act of thoughtfulness. Orchids are definitely symbols for that since they are more unique and special and aren’t gifted so often.

Orchid – Etymological meaning

Orchid flowers belong to the Orchidaceae family. They got their name from the Greek name “orchis”, which means testicle. You are probably surprised that such a beautiful flower got its name based on this part of male body, but we can understand the fertility symbolism fact a little bit better. The Orchid tubers in the ground resembled testicles, which is the reason why the Greeks started calling this flower “orchis”.

On the other hand, “phalaenopsis orchis” or the moth orchis got their name based on mistaken identity. Swedish scientist Peter Osbeck was spying Orchid flowers in the field and he thought they were large clusters of moths. Even though this was Osbeck’s mistake, this sort of Orchids kept the name and they are still called the same.

Orchid – Symbolism

Flowers have many different symbolic meanings and it is not unusual to say that a flower represents the best in a man, but the peculiar appearance of the Orchid flower definitely justifies this fact. Orchids are universal symbols of love and fertility.

They also symbolize tranquility, abundance, peace and creativity. Orchid flowers represent our desire to reach greatness in life and our desire to accomplish the ultimate intimacy with someone. The geometric shape of the Orchid flower and the unusual patchwork on its petals is usually represented as the perfection of nature.

Orchid flowers are sophisticated and exotic. Their beauty is simply mesmerizing and unlike anything we can see in nature. They are symbols of love, romance, fertility, innocence, attention and chastity. The name Orchid comes from the Greek word “orchis” which means testicles. Greeks thought that the Orchid flower can help women to become pregnant and also men to be more fertile. They also believed that Orchid flowers can be used to determine the sex of the unborn child and many other myths were linked to this beautiful flower.

Chinese people believed that the Orchid flower guarantees healthy offspring and essential oils from the Orchid flower were used to help boost fertility in both men and women. Perfumes based on orchids can be used as well and are very popular. Thanks to all of this, this aristocratic flower kept the epithet of the plant in the East, which is most often given to young couples who are expecting children.

The fact is that the very look at this extravagant flower brings peace and tranquility. Fortunately, there are all around us, they inhabit almost all habitats and can be found equally in the plains and in the mountain regions. This also shows the great power of adaptation, so orchids (especially in Japan) are traditionally associated with abundant, or luxurious and rich lives. They are frequent guests not only Japanese homes but also offices, because fertility, you agree, does not have to refer only to the bedroom, but also to good business ventures.

And as there is a widespread belief in Japan that a warrior who finds a flower of Orchid on his path is a man of special courage and heroism, so this flower simultaneously connects with physical strength and power. Something similar is found in the Aztec culture. A special importance had the “miraculous” drink made of chocolate and vanilla. Everyone was delighted to drink this potion in order to preserve their masculinity and strength.

Orchids are often thought to be the ideal flowers for those who have unusual beauty, but at the same time they like simplicity, diligence and have an innate sense of design and aesthetics.

However, if you plan to donate an orchid to a dear person, consider carefully when choosing colors! By sending a Blue Orchid to a person you are sending a message that it is a rarity, unique, unique creature for you. It is a symbol of love, but in combination with the blue color of emotions permeates spirituality, so it is an unusual connection, something that is not so often.

On the other hand, for white orchids, you decide if you want to send a clear message that reads “you are dear to me,” because it symbolizes beauty and elegance, and it also has a dose of innocence that does not bind.

On the contrary, the red will emphasize your passion, determination, perseverance, and unconscious love, while its slightly lighter tones and pink color will emphasize the happiness and joy that fills you with the time spent with that special person. If you want to give someone the title of the best, special friend, give him a yellow orchid, because it is precisely the symbol of friendship and new beginnings; while lavender orchids are usually given to mothers as well as to all women who represent elegance, grace, and femininity.

Some more glaring tones of this flower, like purple, are related to authority, respect, and admiration, so you can give them to someone you consider as your role model or a respectable person. For whatever combination you decide at the end – you can’t be too wrong about it.

Orchid – Color meaning

Flower colors can sometimes help us make that important decision, about which flower to gift to someone. Colors give that special symbolic meaning to a flower and we can certainly pass our message more clearly with the use of the right flower and flower color.

Orchid flowers come in several colors and each one has its own specific meaning and symbolism.

Red

• Red is the color of passion, love, power and sometimes aggression. This is definitely a color to use if you want to express strong emotions and powerful feelings towards someone. Red Orchid is not the flower to gift to your mother or sister, it is better to gift the red Orchid to your partner or someone you truly love and adore.

Blue

• Blue Orchids are symbols of rarity, uniqueness and beauty. This is the perfect flower to gift to someone you consider to be uniquely beautiful. This person can be anyone from your surroundings and doesn’t have to be someone you like in a romantic way. Color blue symbolizes spirituality, loyalty, sincerity and trust.

Pink

• Pink is the color of gentleness, subtleness, romance and playfulness. Pink Orchids can be given to someone you like or to your partner. These Orchid flowers won’t send a wrong message to someone even if you are not interested in this person in a romantic way. Anyone you like and respect.

White

• White Orchid stands out for its beauty. White color is the symbol of spirituality, innocence, safety, faith and purity. You can gift the white Orchid to anyone you respect and consider to be your faithful friend. You can even gift this flower to your partner if you want to gift something a little different this year for Valentine’s Day.

Purple

• Purple Orchids are beautiful and unique flowers. Color purple symbolizes royalty, class, beauty and wealth. Orchid flowers are beautiful on their own, but when we combine them with the purple color, they become even more gorgeous. You can gift this beautiful flower to anyone you respect and consider them to be special and respect worthy.

Yellow

• Yellow symbolizes optimism, activity, joy and happiness. Yellow Orchids can be given to almost anyone, if you want to cheer this person up and lift up his mood. Choose a beautiful bouquet of Orchid flowers for your living room or bedroom and bring some happiness into your home.

Orange

• Orange is the color of sunshine, excitement, creativity and success. Pick this color of the Orchid flower for your office and call some fertility and productivity to your work place.

Green

• Green Orchids are symbols of freshness, safety, environment and harmony. Green Orchids are perfect decoration for your home and office, but you can even gift them to a special person you want to surprise. Orchids are generally symbols of love, and you can show love to every person in your life it doesn’t have to be a romantic love.

Orchid – Botanical facts and characteristics

Orchid flowers can be planted by using Orchid flower seeds. Growing an Orchid flower is a little bit more complicated and it takes a lot of care. That is one of the reasons why Orchid flowers are a bit more expensive and rarer.

Seeds must be grown in laboratories in sterile jars. The ground for the Orchid flower growth must be jelly. The seeds need to grow up to 1 centimeter, which takes about a year. After this process, it takes about 3 to 8 years for the plants to start to bloom.

Orchid flowers don’t like too much light, so try to keep it next to the window where it will be protected by window shades. If you want to determine how much light the plant is getting, pay attention to the color of the leaves. If the leaves are yellowish, this means it is too warm for the plant, and if they are dark green, the Orchid needs more light.

Orchids love water so you need to water them regularly. Ideal air moisture is between 50-70% and when the days are extremely warm you need to water it more often. If you have more than one Orchid, you can group them on a trey where you will fill in the water and stones. By evaporation, the plants are going to create their own microclimate.

When watering the Orchid plant, use water that has been distillated and water the plant early in the morning. Avoid watering in the evening or at night. It is enough to water the Orchid plant once a week in the winter time and twice a week in the summer time.

Orchid – Secret message

Orchid flower is sending you a special message. This unique flower is telling you to always be graceful and to keep your uniqueness no matter what. Everyone is special in own way and we all have something to contribute to the world.

This beautiful flower symbolizes love and fertility that has meant a lot to the ancient cultures. Today we enjoy in the beauty of Orchid flowers and the sweet flavor of Vanilla that it gifts to us.