Orchid Meaning: Love, Luxury, Strength and Refinement

Orchids mean love, beauty, luxury, strength and refinement. They look exotic and precious, and for centuries they were exactly that: rare plants collected by emperors, scholars and wealthy gardeners. Today orchids are far easier to find, but they've kept their air of elegance.

This guide covers what orchids symbolize, where those meanings come from, the orchid flower meaning for each colour and type, and when to give one. For the varieties florists use, see our orchid guide.

What do orchids symbolize?

The core orchid meanings:

• Love and beauty: orchids are among the most romantic exotic flowers.
• Luxury and rarity: a legacy of the days when they were costly treasures.
• Strength: orchids live on every continent except Antarctica, and a healthy plant can rebloom for years.
• Refinement and integrity: an old meaning from Chinese culture.
• Fertility: an ancient Greek association, tied to the flower's name.

Where orchid meanings come from

The orchid family is one of the largest groups of flowering plants on earth, with more than 25,000 species. The name comes from the Greek orchis, meaning testicle, after the shape of the paired root tubers of some Mediterranean species. That's where the fertility meaning began: in ancient Greece, it was said that eating the tubers could influence whether a baby would be a boy or a girl.

In China, the orchid was admired by Confucius as a symbol of the refined, honest person, and it's one of the "Four Gentlemen" of Chinese painting, alongside plum blossom, bamboo and chrysanthemum. In Victorian England, orchids set off a collecting craze sometimes called "orchidelirium", when plant hunters travelled the world to bring back new species for wealthy collectors. One more surprise: vanilla comes from an orchid. Canada has wild orchids of its own, too, with dozens of native species growing in bogs, forests and meadows from coast to coast.

Orchid meaning by colour

Colour shapes the orchid's message:

• Purple: admiration, respect, dignity and royalty.
• White: purity, reverence, elegance and sympathy.
• Pink: grace, joy and gentle affection.
• Yellow: friendship, new beginnings and good cheer.
• Red: passion, desire and courage.
• Green: good fortune and health, an uncommon but striking choice.
• Blue: calm and rarity. Bright blue orchids sold in shops are usually dyed; few true blue orchids exist.

Purple orchid meaning

Purple orchids mean admiration, respect, dignity and royalty. Purple has signalled rank and wealth for centuries, and on an orchid it says "I hold you in high esteem". Deep purple feels formal and serious; lavender and orchid-pink shades feel softer and more personal.

That makes a purple orchid a thoughtful gift for a mentor, a boss who's retiring, a graduate or anyone you look up to. Purple orchids also appear in sympathy work, where they honour the person who has died. The Sacred Garden Spray pairs purple orchids with lavender hydrangea, white roses and lilies. Our flower colour meanings guide covers purple across other flowers.

White orchid meaning

White orchids mean purity, reverence, elegance and humility. They're among the most refined flowers a florist can use, which is why they appear in wedding bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres, and in sympathy arrangements, where they say peace and respect without heaviness.

A white orchid also suits a modern home. Its clean lines fit minimalist rooms, and a potted white phalaenopsis is a common housewarming or new-office gift. If you're sending sympathy and aren't sure of the family's traditions, white is the safest colour. Our guide to what kind of flowers to send for a funeral covers the rest, and our funeral and sympathy flowers include several orchid designs.

Orchid types and what they say

Florists and growers use a few main kinds of orchid, and each has its own role:

• Phalaenopsis (moth orchid): the arching potted orchid sold in shops and grocery stores. A potted plant, often blooming for two or three months, makes a lasting gift.
• Cymbidium: large, waxy blooms on long spikes, one of the longest-lasting cut flowers and a classic for corsages. See our cymbidium orchid guide.
• Dendrobium: sprays of smaller blooms, often white, purple or two-toned, used in bouquets and sympathy pieces. See our dendrobium guide.
• Lady's slipper: a wild orchid with a pouch-shaped lip. The pink lady's slipper is Prince Edward Island's provincial flower, and it grows wild in forests across much of eastern Canada. Wild orchids should never be picked or dug up.

When to give orchids

Orchids suit occasions where you want elegance and staying power:

• Sympathy: white and purple orchids say respect and peace. At Peace Arrangement pairs dendrobium orchids with roses and calla lilies, and Heavenly Sentiments Spray is a fuller tribute for a service.
• Thanks and admiration: for a mentor, a host or a colleague.
• Romance: pink or red orchids for a partner who likes something less expected than roses.
• A housewarming or a new office: a living plant that lasts. Our plants collection has other long-lasting green gifts.

Are orchids safe for cats?

Phalaenopsis orchids are a good choice for pet homes: the ASPCA lists the moth orchid as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Our list of flowers safe for cats has more. If you're giving a potted orchid, a simple care note helps. Bright, indirect light, water when the potting bark is nearly dry and never leave the pot sitting in water. Once the flowers drop, a few weeks of slightly cooler nights in the fall often help a moth orchid send up a new flower spike. Cut orchids such as cymbidiums can last two weeks or more in a vase; our guide on how long flowers last compares them with other blooms.

Sending orchids anywhere in Canada

Flowers on Demand delivers across every province and territory through a network of local florists, who arrange and hand-deliver each order. Delivery is a flat $19.99. For same-day delivery, order before 1:00 PM in the recipient's time zone, Monday to Saturday; there's no Sunday delivery.

Start with our orchid guide, or find the town you're sending to on our delivery cities page. Local florists occasionally swap a stem for one of similar style and value when a flower is short, so if one flower matters most, say so in the card or delivery note.