What Do Orchid Flowers Symbolize?

Etymology

• The word "orchid" is derived from the Greek word "orchis," meaning "testicle." Ancient Greeks thought they could control the sex of an unborn child by eating different types of orchid roots.

Ancient China

• The Chinese believed that orchids had healing properties, particularly against illnesses affecting the heart. Orchids may also have signified refinement and innocence.

Victorian England

• Orchids were prized as luxury items in England during the 1800s. The plants were gathered from tropical climates and shipped to England, where they had to be carefully cultivated or they would die quickly.

Modern Meaning

• Today, orchids symbolize rare beauty and elegance, despite their relative abundance as cultivated plants in home landscapes as well as commercial settings.

Fun Fact

• Vanilla flavor comes from the Vanilla genus of orchids found in the Americas. The Aztecs mixed it with chocolate, which they drank for strength.