Orchids have been highly prized since the time of the ancient Romans. Though they are now seen as fragile and graceful, orchids were once considered a symbol of rugged male virility. This led to ancient people associating the orchid with fertility and even believing that the size of an orchid’s tubers could predict a baby’s gender.
In China orchids are said to represent prosperity and good luck. Giving an orchid sends a message of well wishes. In other regions, orchids stand for beauty and passion, and are often given as romantic gestures.
As with many other plants, the color of the flower sends a symbolic message to the recipient. White orchids symbolize purity, whereas purple indicates regality. Pink orchids convey grace and yellow represents friendship.
Aside from the beauty of the flowers, orchids have several practical uses as well. There are medicinal and culinary applications that have long-standing traditions across the world.
Orchids were used for medicinal purposes dating back to ancient China. It is still common in Asia to make dendrobium orchids into a tea that is said to strengthen the immune system due to its high vitamin C content. Orchids are rich in fiber and may aid in digestion. It is also believed that orchid tea may help improve eyesight.
Beans or pods from vanilla orchids have been used to flavor foods, especially chocolate, since the time of the Aztecs. The Aztecs believed that orchids were a source of strength. Of the thousands of varieties of orchids, only about one hundred species produce vanilla. These vining plants are losing habitat, causing the price of natural vanilla extract to increase significantly.
Orchids comprise the largest flower family in the world with some 25,000 recognized species. Because many of these are native to the tropics, orchids are most often thought of as warm-climate plants. In fact, different varieties are adapted to grow in nearly every environment except atop solid ice.
Orchids can be classified according to whether they produce a single stem (monopodial) or multiple stems (sympodial) from each rhizome or root. They are also classified according to their natural growth habit, such as growing as a vine, in a tree, or on top of stone. Knowing the type of orchid you have will help you determine how to best care for the plant.
There are as many occasions for giving an orchid as there are colors of this beautiful flower. Whether for a friend or a loved one, a gift of an elegant orchid will be treasured for years to come.
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Roses bloom in a wide range of colors too; there’s even a green variety (Rosa chinensis ‘Viridiflora”), that’s difficult to find. Not only are they difficult to find in a florist; the rose flower is a delicate apple color, and can sometimes be camouflaged by the surrounding foliage.
Chrysanthemums can also be found in a delightful lime green color, though you may have to shop around for them, or purchase them online. You should check to see if they’re grown green (through hybridization), dyed (which usually means sprayed with a green dye), or tinted (which usually means placed in green-colored water, which gets soaked up through the stem.
The shell flower, or Molucca Balm, is also known as Bells of Ireland, and though native to Western Asia also grows in Ireland. It is a striking and dramatic plant, growing up to 3 feet tall, with small white or pink flowers, very fragrant, almost hidden by the large green bell-shaped leaves. Alone or in an arrangement, Bells of Ireland would surely make an impression.
To bouquets or arrangements including these flowers you can also add other, maybe seasonal flowers that accentuate any blooms. Picking different shape blossoms, or supporting colors will add visual interest to the arrangement, and leaving on more greenery than usual, in the form of stems or foliage, will help to accentuate the green theme for which you’re going. Of course, you can also consider a basket of green plants, rather than cut flowers. And one final alternative is to find a glorious, elegant orchid; the cymbidium orchid, often used as wedding flowers, comes in a variety of greens, from pale to a rich, dark, grass color. 
Cultivated for thousands of years, orchids are the largest family of flowering plants. There are more than 22,000 species of orchid, with almost 1,000 new varieties added every year. Since the 19th Century, and the discovery of tropical species and their subsequent cultivation, over 100,000 hybrids and cultivars have been produced. Our human history with orchids goes back quite a bit longer than the Victorian era, though.
The ancient Greeks associated orchids with fertility. They believed that the gender of an unborn child could be determined by which parent ate a particular kind of orchid; if the father ate large, young, orchid tubers, the child would be male, whereas if the mother ate small tubers, the child would be female. There’s no evidence this is the case today, but if you and your wife (orchids are almost exclusively given to women today) are trying for a baby, this might be a thoughtful gift, with a meaning special to just the two of you. 
In the Victorian age, British explorers and travelers returned home bearing tropical orchids, and set about cultivating them in hothouses and conservatories. In 1862, Charles Darwin published “Fertilisation of Orchids”, setting off a spree of activity up and down the land. Even so, the orchid remained a rare and precious plant, and because they were so expensive and hard to find at the time, they came to symbolize luxury. This image persists today, with the orchid symbolizing love, beauty, luxury and strength; the long-lasting orchid makes a perfect gift for the special someone in your life.
Anthurium (also known as Antherium) are among the next most common of the rainforest flowers to be found at your local florist. This broad, leaf-shaped (and, locally, usually red) flower with a large protruding spadix is sometimes nicknamed the “boy plant”, for somewhat obvious reasons. 
Protea, also known as sugarbushes, come primarily from Africa, where they grow along, among other places, the Limpopo river. This national symbol of South Africa comes in many varieties, however the most relatively common are the King Protea and Queen Protea, so named, some say, because they look much like a crown atop a head. 