4. The smallest orchid is the size of a dime. While the largest weigh several hundred pounds. All varieties seem to mimic the human face. It’s almost as if, when you look at an orchid, it’s looking back at you.
5. The vanilla orchid (and its vanilla bean) is the only commercially grown orchid crop (Vanilla planifolia).
Yup, vanilla extract comes from an orchid!
6. Orchids have the tiniest seeds in the world. This makes them a challenge to grow and cultivate. And they take forever to sprout and actually turn into a plant! Growing orchids is only for the patient and very green-thumbed.
7. There can be up to 3 million seeds in a single orchid seedpod. You’ll never see them though, as they’re the size of a speck of dust and are only visible under a microscope. Part of the reason for their small size is that they lack an endosperm and have no nutrients within. They require contact with a particular fungus to germinate and grow.
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