Orchid flowers, or simply orchids – part of the Orchidaceae family – are some of the most popular flowers around the world, loved for their exotic appeal, vibrant colors, and various scents.
There are around 28,000 species of orchids, making up some of the most diverse flowering plants in the world. There are also hybrid orchids (crossbreed orchids), some of them being entirely man-made.
Worldwide, orchid flowers are highly sought-after as decorative houseplants, as well as gifts.
When properly taken care of, orchids can last years, which is another reason they have such high household appeal.
Below, we have 50 different types of orchid flowers – some of them popular, some of them not as well-known.
If you are looking for a new orchid to add to your collection, or perhaps a rare or special orchid to give as the perfect gift for someone who loves orchids, you have come to the right place.
So, listed down below in alphabetical order are 50 types of orchid flowers that you need to see!
1. Bamboo Orchids
Bamboo orchids are named after bamboos due to having similar stems that can also grow taller than most other orchids.
2. Black-Lipped Orchids
Black-lipped orchids are known to smell of honey, with unique bright green sepals that form a starfish shape.
3. Brassia Orchids
Brassia orchids are fragrant orchid flowers that have long and pointed petals, native to Mexico and America.
4. Brassovola Orchids
Brassovola orchids are also nicknamed “lady of the night” orchids, due to the scent they release in the evening.
5. Broad-Leaved Marsh Orchids
Dactylorhiza majalis, or broad-leaved marsh orchids as they are more commonly known, are tall orchids that can grow up to 50 centimeters in height.
6. Bucket Orchids
Coryanthe orchids, more commonly called bucket orchids, are native to Trinidad, America, and Mexico, aptly named after their bucket-shaped appearance.
7. Bulbophyllum Orchids
Bulbophyllum orchids have over 2000 species, making them one of the largest varieties of orchid in the world.
8. Calanthe Orchids
Calanthe orchids are better known as “Christmas orchids”, due to the fact that they blossom in the winter holidays.
9. Catasetum Orchids
Catasetum orchids are unique in appearance, having waxy petals that can come in a range of colors.
10. Cattleya Orchids
Cattleya orchids are very popular orchids that are also called “corsage orchids”, having many different colors.
11. Cat’s Tail Orchids
Aerides, the botanical name of cat’s tail orchid and fox brus orchid, are beautiful pink and white orchids with subtle hues of orange.
12. Cockleshell Orchids
Cockleshell orchids, also called clamshell orchids and black orchids, are unique-looking orchids native to Central America and Venezuela.
13. Coelogyne Orchids
Coelogyne orchids are pure white in color with yellow centers. These orchids have a sweet fragrance and make up around 200 species.
14. Cycnoches Orchids
Cycnoches orchids are related to cattelya orchids and are also known as “swan orchids” – their appearance resembling a swan’s neck.
15. Cymbidium Orchids
Cymbidium orchids are often called “boat orchids”, and have much smaller pink, white, yellow, or orange flowers in comparison to other orchid types.
Related: 9 Black Orchids Varieties (with Pictures and Care Guide)
16. Cypripedium Orchids
Cypriedium orchids are better known by their common name lady’s slipper orchids due to their appearance. They are native to Europe, as well as Asia.
17. Dendrobium Orchids
Dendrobium orchids are some of the most popular orchids in the world, having over 1800 different varieties.
18. Dove Orchids
Dove orchids are beautiful, elegant orchid flowers that, when fully flowered, resemble a dove with outspread wings.
19. Eggleaf Twayblade Orchids
Eggleaf twayblade orchids are native to Europe and Asia, but not as popular due to their notably plain appearance for an orchid.
20. Encyclia Orchids
Encyclia orchids tend to grow on tree trunks and tree branches, having a leaf-life appearance of varying colors.
21. Epidendroideae Orchids
Epipendroideae orchids are known for being one of the largest Orchid families with more 15,000 species in total.
22. Epidendrum Orchids
Epipendrum orchids, just like dendrobium orchids, are some of the most common orchids around the world with over 1000 species.
23. Epipogium Orchids
Epipogium orchids, epipogium aphyllum, or “ghost orchid”, are orchids that prefer little light. They are most recognizable by their pale, drooping appearance.
24. Fox Tail Orchids
Rhynchostylis retusa, better known as foxtail orchid, is native to Asian countries, named after their “bushy” appearance that resembles a fox’s tail.
25. Laelia Orchids
Laelia orchids, native to Central America, South America, and Mexico, have just 25 species, having a star-shaped head that is typically pink, purple, or white.
26. Ludisia Orchids
Ludisia orchids are rare orchid flowers that are the only species of its kind. They are also known as “jewel orchids”.
27. Lycaste Orchids
Lycaste orchids are particularly fragrant and have a variety of colors, including white, yellow, and red.
28. Marsh Orchids
Marsh orchids (dactylorhiza) are orchid flowers with lilac and purple flowers, mostly found in the countries of the United Kingdom.
29. Masdevallia Orchids
Masdevallia orchids have unique triangular flowers and are also one of the largest orchid species with close to 500 total species.
30. Maxillaria Orchids
Maxillaria orchids are mostly tropical orchids (of more than 300 species) that tend to have a vanilla or coconut fragrance.
31. Mexipedium Orchids
Mexipedium orchids are the only orchid species of its kind, discovered relatively recently with a striking white flower that resembles the lady’s slipper orchid.
32. Miltonia Orchids
Miltonia orchids, which bloom during spring and summer, are also called “pansy orchids” due to their resemblances to pansies.
33. Monkey Orchids
Monkey orchids are a unique orchid flower that get their name from how the inner part of the flower closely resembles the face of a monkey.
34. Odontoglossum Orchids
Odontoglossum orchids are loved for their speckled petals, coming in colors of white, yellow, orange, and pink.
35. Oncidium Orchids
Oncidium orchids comprise over 300 species, also known as “dancing lady orchids”. One of the most popular species is the “sharry baby” oncidium.
36. Paphiopedilum Orchids
Paphiopedilum orchids are popular orchids for first-time orchid owners, due to their nature of being easy to grow and look after.
37. Phaius Orchids
Phaius orchids, also known as nun’s hood orchids, or nun’s cap orchids, comprise around 50 species that are native to Asia and the Pacific Islands.
38. Phalaenopsis Orchids
Phalaenopsis orchids are also commonly called “moth orchids”. These are mostly pink in color and are popular orchids for beginners.
39. Philippine Ground Orchids
Philippine ground orchids (spathoglottis plicata) are large orchids with pink, dark pink, or purple flowers, found in tropical Asian countries and western Pacific Islands.
40. Phragmipedium Orchids
Phragmipedium orchids prefer wet areas, with an appearance that is similar to lady’s slipper orchids (cypripedioideae orchids).
41. Pleione Orchids
Pleione orchids are eye-catching pink orchids with large outspread sepals, named after Pleione in Greek mythology.
42. Psychopsis Orchids
Psychopsis orchids are also widely known as “butterfly orchids”, native to Trinidad, as well as South America and Central America.
43. Early Purple Orchids
Purple orchids, or early purple orchids (orchis mascula), are flowering orchids with bold pink and purple petals that make them a popular, decorative orchid houseplant.
44. Scorpion Orchids
Scorpion orchids, part of the Arachnis family, are one of the most unique-looking orchids, having striped sepals that are spread out in an open claw shape.
45. Tiger Orchids
Tiger orchids, also called giant orchids, sugar cane orchids, or queen of the orchids, are Indonesian orchids with similar colors to scorpion orchids.
46. Tolumnia Orchids
Tolumnia orchids, sometimes called dancing lady orchids (depending on the species), are a brightly colored orchid flower of pink, red, orange, and yellow.
47. Vanda Orchids
Vanda orchids are another orchid that is well-known for their scent, consisting of around 80 species in total.
48. Vanilla Orchids
Vanilla orchids grow on vines (the only orchid to do so) and are most popular for their vanilla fragrance and spice.
49. White Egret Orchids
White egret orchids, or white egret flowers, are native to Asia and Russia, having a similar appearance to dove orchids despite being a different species.
50. Zygopetalum Orchids
Zygopetalum orchids are fragrant orchids with only 15 species to its name, most of which bloom in dark shades of purple.
Conclusion
The orchid flowers that we listed above are just 50 of orchids part of the huge Orchidaceae family, which has over 25,000 species (around 28,000, to be more specific) located all around the world. That is a lot of orchids!
Whether you are an orchid lover or someone who just wants to find a special orchid to give away as a gift, we hope you found the perfect orchid from our list of orchid flowers, while discovering a few new orchids along the way.
After all, orchid flowers come in all shapes and sizes, have different colors, with some orchids offering a pleasant fragrance that can improve the smell of any home. Despite their beautiful features, orchids are actually relatively also low-maintenance.
Editor’s Recommendations
19 Different Types Of Brown Plants (Including Photos)
