The Meanings of Flower

Orchid Symbolism

Orchid—from the Greek ‘orchis’, meaning ‘testicle’—is a natural symbol of sexuality and procreation, especially among those who choose it as a tattoo design. But the more traditional associations of the orchid are love, luxury, beauty and strength.

The ‘Orchidaceae’ family is certainly prolific, with 25,000 different species growing on every continent except Antarctica, from sea level to three miles high. Most of them thrive in the tropics. Once thought to be parasites living off other plants, orchids are in fact ‘epiphytes’, meaning that they grow on top of other plants. As if that’s not sophisticated enough, the orchid seed, to germinate, must be penetrated by threads of fungus. Little wonder that this high maintenance flower is not only expensive to buy, but comes laden with symbolic associations.

Unlike other flowers that have served humanity in many useful ways, the orchid seems to be a flower whose reputation lies entirely in its symbolism. Rare and pure of colour, it has simply represented perfection for hundreds of years.

For centuries, the orchid has been a status symbol implying wealth, even greed. In the 1800s, orchids were so highly coveted that collectors dispatched adventurers to the ends of the earth to gather ever rarer specimens in the wild. While the flower’s beauty inspired the emotion behind the obsession, it was the status the orchid brought its owner that may have been even more intoxicating.

Ancient Greeks associated orchids with virility and strength. They believed that the sex of their unborn child could be influenced by ingesting orchid roots. If the father ate large ones, the child would be male, and if the mother consumed small tubers, a girl would be born. It’s hard to imagine such a superstition surviving very long with its integrity intact. But the orchid’s more conventional associations have survived to this day.

The orchid has been a symbol of beauty and luxury because it has always been rare and expensive. The gift of an orchid was considered the most special floral gift, and was the most impressive bouquet at the weddings of the social, political and economic elites. Today, the price of an orchid may be within reach of most people, but it still carries its rare and exotic mystique. And what’s rare and delicate is also considered beautiful, especially if the wealthy desired it with such passion.

Whatever the colour of the orchid, it’s purity conveys messages of love, beauty, wisdom and thoughtfulness. In China, the orchid speaks of the innocence of children, and of refinement. A pink orchid is synonymous with affection, and is the appropriate 14th wedding anniversary flower. The natural choice for Mother’s Day is the ‘cattalya’ variety, because it symbolizes mature charm.

The orchid was considered an aphrodisiac in countries such as Egypt, China, and Africa. Aztecs were said to have drawn strength from the famous vanilla orchid. And the teachings of Confucius included the orchid symbol representing ‘numerous progeny’.

orchid-symbolism

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Between the beauty of the intricately developed orchid to the high maintenance it requires, there is a very serious Orchid Symbolism meaning behind this popular flower. Above all the Orchid Symbolism revolves around luxury, beauty and strength. This flower carries a variation of symbolism in different countries, but overall, the flower has kept these three meanings since the beginning.

Luxury certainly comes from the concept that an orchid was mostly planted and kept by the elite who had the time and money to care for these high maintenance plants. The orchid was expensive to purchase and the cost to keep it usually exceeded most household’s financial capacity. The orchid was a luxurious gift to give a woman and was the flower used in the most important of weddings. Today, this flower is more affordable but still carries the stigma of luxury.

The beauty that it represents comes from the simple fact that the flower is the most intricate and desired flower in the world. The unique colors that it produces and the way that it is shaped has made it an exotic plant. The magnificence behind the flower is what makes it so beautiful. Because of it’s historic past as the flower in demand by the rich and powerful, it was perceived as the epitome of beauty.

Strength is an interesting Orchid Symbolism, because the flower itself is not all that strong. It is a very dependent plant and most any deviation from the plant’s required conditions, kills the plant. The strength symbolism comes from the belief that it could make a man produce a male child and a women produce a women child. If the man ate the large tubes of the orchid, the Greek culture believed this would cause the birth of a son. The same would happen if a women at the small tubes, she would produce a girl. This was a power they believed the orchid held.

Orchid Symbolism is what made the orchid such a well known and popular plant. It has proven and carried it’s meaning for hundreds of years. The plant is still the representation of perfection and is still more expensive than a majority of other flowers, regardless of how affordable they have become with the scientific ability to generate thousands of new types and colors. This flower is unique in so many ways that it was rare to the world until recently, making it one of the most exotic plants.

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