Orchids are among the most popular plants in the world, considered to be the ultimate prize for their elegant beauty and scent. These unique plants make a statement about those who grow them, wear their flowers, or just admire the beauty orchids bring to any environment. Did you know that mature orchid flowers always grow upside down in their natural habitat? Here are five other fun facts you may not know about orchids.

1. Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants with more than 25,000 documented orchid species – and that number grows by 200 to 300 each year. With the exception of Antarctica, these prolific plants grow on every continent, from the Arctic Circle to the southernmost jungle.
2. The world’s smallest orchid is the size of a dime while the tallest orchid, Sobralia altissima, can grow nearly 44 feet tall. The smallest orchid flowers are as tiny as the head of a pin and the largest can grow up to 11 inches across.
3. Orchids have the tiniest seeds in the world; a single orchid seedpod can contain as many as 3 million seeds.
4. Orchids are slow growers with the first flowers appearing five to seven years after germination. Orchid plants can live up to 100 years. Some orchid flowers last for six months while others wilt within hours of blooming. Wilmington flower delivery always delivers orchids while the blossoms are fresh.
5. The vanilla spice commonly used in kitchens everywhere is a species of orchid grown in Latin America. Vanilla planifolia, native to Mexico and Central America, is the chief commercial source of natural vanilla.