Orchids are certainly masters of evolution. With over a million years under their belt, they are built to live longer and flourish as time goes by. It is no wonder that most orchid lovers compare them to people. Orchids like people are diverse and resilient. Having thousands of species from every part of the world and living prosperously almost under any condition.

And like most people each species has different characteristics and traits. Moreover, each year the diversity of these plants keep on growing as more and more growers experiment on cross-breeding. Orchids themselves cross-breed occasionally and discoveries of new species become a thing to look out for.

What surprises me with orchids is their ability to survive almost anywhere. And as technology grows, people find ways to make these plants available for everyone, anywhere.

Two fascinating things written about in the Whole Foods Blog I recently read are how people manipulate the blooming conditions and mini-orchids.

Orchids know it’s time to bloom when the weather starts to become “nippy” as the blogger said. Cool weather tells the plant that it’s the time to let out its beautiful flowers.

Some places naturally have cooler weather at some point in time, like in California and other tropical places, but sometimes it takes a month before this takes place. So what most growers do is they imitate this condition by placing these plants on large coolers to have them start blooming.

Since orchids bloom longer than most flowers do, they have become a favorite of plant lovers everywhere. Some of these flowers last up to four months before finally dropping. They are perfect plants to spread all over your house as substitutes for your regular blooms.

Time and expense (money that is) brought about a new kind of orchid, the mini ones. Mini-orchids are smaller versions of these plants that grow below 6 inches in height and can fit in small pots. These new types of orchids take less time to grow and can therefore bloom faster than its regular-sized counterparts.

The species of these mini-orchids stand at around 200 to 300 kinds, depending on how you group them. Most of them are have white blooms. They are small and compact and can grow using artificial light and less water.

Orchids like people have grown though time. And as people experiment on them, more and more varieties show up. And since they live longer than your regular flower, you can expect years with them when cared for properly. As the writer of the blog said, orchids become more just plants. They become companions and friends through time.

Tell me about your relationship with your orchids. Please leave a comment below.

To learn what to ask before you purchase an orchid, here are 3 key questions to ask orchid growers.