Understand the Basics of Orchids

Orchids have some of the most exotic and beautiful flowers in the plant world. They boast of at least 25,000 officially recognized individual species, and some botanists count the number even higher. With such a natural diversity and beauty, orchids have garnered much attention from the world horticultural community. Amateur gardeners and flower enthusiasts are constantly cross pollinating species, and have to date created over 100,000 hybrid orchids. Orchid cultivation happens on a global scale, with favorable climate conditions regulating regions of high or low growth.

Aside from the aesthetic qualities that orchids are famous for, they provide at least one well known nutritional benefit. The vanilla bean is the fruit of an orchid plant, and is considered to be an important, valuable crop in many areas.

This free video series gives you expert knowledge on orchid growth and structures. William Hutchinson teaches you all about the leaves, roots, pseudobulbs, and preferred growing conditions of many common orchid types. This is the first in four series on orchid care. Consider this a day in the life of an orchid, a day where you become an expert for yourself!

"What makes the plant unique in the fact that when we look at it the vegetative growth is unique to the orchid and there is various series of forms to help hold water and not all orchids grow the same way. Some grow like the palm of your hand where the roots and stem spread out and others will grow straight up into the air. Other things are where did the roots grow? What is unique about the roots? Why do orchids grow where they do and why are some of the weird orchids in the world grow anywhere? No where you would expect them to grow actually such as underground and in water. Now when we look at these things, some of them are very difficult to see. The underground orchid is not one that is nominally seen unless you go to the deserts of Australia. The other ones growing in the water. You have to go to South Africa and that is where you will find those living. So this is what we are going to do; go through all the characteristics that are unique to orchids and make them live and function in the way that they do."