Types of orchids: Inexhaustible variety of orchids

Orchids native to rainforests often grow on our windowsills. There are also orchids that grow in our gardens all year round.

Everyone is familiar with the ever-popular blooming splendor of orchids, and many people even have one or more specimens of the exotic plant in their own home. The vast majority of commercially available plants are based on a handful of species, but the variety of orchids worldwide is significantly greater. The orchid family (Orchidaceae) form the second largest family within the flowering plants and are also native to many species in temperate climates. We introduce you to the colorful variety of orchid species.

Orchids: general characteristics and profile

Orchids are considered to be a particularly diverse plant family, which includes an estimated 15,000 to 30,000 species and in their number of species only differs from the daisy family (Asteraceae) are exceeded. A special feature of orchids is their distribution on all continents (except Antarctica, of course), most of them in Asia. The majority of all orchid species are found in the tropics, where they grow predominantly epiphytic (as epiphytic plants) and get their food from tree deposits and the air. In fact, there are species native to Germany that can definitely keep up with the tropical specimens in terms of appearance.

Orchids are particularly popular as ornamental plants because of their great variety of colors and their striking, zygomorphic flowers (asymmetric upper and lower lip) and are now being mass-marketed on a huge scale in Thailand, Taiwan and the Netherlands bred.

We recommend the following products for magnificent orchids:

• Floragard orchid soil: peat-free Special soil for the special requirements of your indoor orchids. Pine bark and coconut chips ensure a light and airy structure. Premium fertilizers such as guano ensure strong and vital plants.
• Cuxin liquid fertilizer for orchids: The special fertilizer for orchids contains many organic nutrients for lush flowering. Iron chelate ensures deep green leaves.
• Cuxin Foliar Care Spray: Care spray for orchids based on an ionic wetting agent. The trace elements it contains balance the moisture balance of orchids in a dry environment and thus ensure fresh green leaves and a high flowering rate.

Orchid species: list and classification

Altogether exist within the orchid family (Orchidaceae) five subfamilies with different numbers of genera and species.

• Apostasiaceae: Very old line of orchids with only 17 known species; distributed from the Himalayas to northern Australia

Genera: Apostasia, Neuwiedia

• Cypripedioideae: Shoe-shaped orchid subfamily; widespread on the American continent as well as in Europe and Asia; five genera with about 120 species

Genera: Phragmipedium (lady's slipper), Selenipedium or Cypripedium

• Epidendroidae: Largest subfamily of orchids; about 650 genera with around 18,000 species; predominantly tropical and epiphytic; Basis for the commercially available orchids

Genera: Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, Vanda and many others

• Orchidoideae: Subfamily growing on the ground; some of them also spread in Germany

Genera: Platanthera (forest hyacinths), Dactylorhiza (orchids), Ophyris (orchids) and many more

• Vanilliodeae: Tropical line of orchids with 15 genera and about 200 species

Genus: For example vanilla (Vanilla), including real vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) as a spice plant

Are you a real orchid lover? Then take a look at our specialist articles cultivation of orchids, orchid care, to the Cutting orchids and Orchid repotting as Orchid Diseases and Watering the orchids of orchids over.