Orchids

Orchids are some of the most beautiful flowers in the world. There are more than 25,000 kinds of orchids, making them one of the biggest plant families. Orchids grow on every continent except Antarctica. They come in almost every color you can think of.

Amazing Shapes

Orchid flowers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some look like butterflies, bees, or even little monkeys. Other orchids are so small you need a magnifying glass to see them. The biggest orchid flowers can be as wide as a dinner plate. Each orchid has three petals and three sepals that make up the flower.

Where They Grow

Most orchids live in warm, rainy jungles. Many of them do not grow in soil at all. Instead, they grow on the sides of trees high up in the air. Their roots soak water from the wet jungle air. Some orchids grow on rocks or in the ground like other plants.

Fun Facts

• The vanilla flavor we use comes from a type of orchid.
• Some orchids smell like chocolate or vanilla.
• An orchid seed is as small as a speck of dust.

Did You Know?

There are more kinds of orchids than any other kind of flowering plant on Earth.