- Orchids are one of the oldest flowers in the world and grow on every continent.
- There are nearly 30,000 documented orchid species.
- Fossils, DNA and other research indicate the first orchids appeared more than 100 million years ago.
- A single orchid seedpod can contain up to three million seeds.
These are truly remarkable facts. None, however, explain humanity’s enduring enchantment with these flowers.
Orchids captivate people and cultures around the world. Including me. Their otherworldly colors and design of every millimeter from every angle endlessly captivate me, especially through the camera lens.
Orchids tantalize our imagination. They have inspired wonder and driven obsession for eons.
Visually stunning and evocative, orchids inspire artists from every genre, including poets, choreographers, composers, writers and painters. Growers dedicate decades to prized plants, and adventurers have risked their lives in search of elusive species. Legends, myths and beliefs about orchids are abundant. Stories of their enigmatic, enchanting beauty cross cultures and time. Healing, virtue and a connection with divinity are just a few of the powers and attributes orchids have come to symbolize and represent. *
The Aztecs believed the vanilla orchid [Vanilla planifolia] ** was a sacred gift bestowing strength and vitality. 19th-century Victorians, including Queen Victoria, shared a collective passion for orchids. In Chinese culture, orchids symbolize beauty, virtue and good fortune. Orchids are associated with royalty and divine beauty in Hawaiian tradition, and orchids in leis are a symbol of honor.
My favorite story is the Māori legend in which orchids are believed to be fragments of a shattered rainbow fallen to earth and transformed into flowers. I can imagine this heavenly scene in my mind’s eye.
As a photographer, I’m continually inspired by orchids and seek them out. Yet, each time I photograph them, I’m humbled and somewhat disappointed. As with most of my photography of the natural world, my orchid images don’t reflect the flowers’ truly profound beauty.
Nevertheless, I continue because I find them irresistible.
*In her award-winning book Orchid Muse, Erica Hannickel shares fascinating stories and history about orchids.
**Vanilla beans come from the seed pods of vanilla orchids [Vanilla planifolia]. They are the most popular commercially grown orchids in the world.
