There are more than 20,000 different kinds of orchid in the world, and over 1,000 grow in Thailand. Orchids range in size from tiny plants about half a centimetre high to vines about 30 metres long. The flowers come in all colours except black, and are often speckled or streaky.

Orchids grow wild in all continents except Antarctica, and grow best in countries that have plentiful rainfall, like Thailand. Most species or orchid, in warm or tropical places, grow on the trunks and branches of trees or on rocks. In cooler areas, the orchids grow on the ground.

Orchids have three inner petals and three outer sepals, which look like petals. The central petal, called the lip, is larger than the others, and often has a different shape. It may look like a cup, a trumpet or a bag. Most orchids need an insect, bird or bat to carry pollen from the flower of one plant to the flower of another orchid plant. This is called cross pollination. The flower may attract the insect, bird or bat by smelling attractive, or by its size and shape. After pollination, tiny seeds develop.

The orchid is the national flower of Thailand. Nowadays many are grown in special orchid farms because the jungles where they grow in the wild have been reduced. This cultivation means that species that would otherwise have died out are still flourishing.

In Thailand the best flowering time for orchids is January, when the weather is cooler.

Bunches of pink orchids and lotus buds in a Thai flower market

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updated March 2001