Scented orchids
Fragrant orchids are not so rare in the orchid world. Many flowers have a natural, pleasant scent.
Others even have a penetrating odour. Mostly the fragrance of an orchid ultimately serves the better preservation of the speciesbecause it is intended to imitate or attract a pollinating insect. When it comes to attracting insects, nature often comes up with amazing things. For example, the warning odour of an injured insect is imitated. This attracts wasps that smell the supposedly easy prey. These then pollinate the flower and thus ensure the offspring.
Special hints and tips for scented orchids
Or an orchid flower exudes feromones. These are sex hormones produced by insects. For example, the scented orchid tricks the insect into believing it is a female willing to mate and the male insect falls for it and pollinates the flower. The orchid gardener in turn, make use of the scent properties and selectively cross-breed fragrant varieties to create interesting new varieties whose above-average flowering and growth characteristics are combined with a pleasant scent.
Orchids have become popular primarily because of their marvellous flowers. However, some species also exude a pleasantly sweet fragrance. The facets of their odeurs range from subtle to penetrating and are reminiscent of exotic fruit varieties or spicy flavours.
We love to smell flowers! But just like the beautiful blossom, their fragrance is not intended to beguile us humans. Rather, it fulfils a practical purpose: the scent of the flower gives the plant an evolutionary advantage because it attracts very specific pollinators and helps the plant to reproduce. For example, the flower of the South African orchid species Satyrium pumilum smells like a dead animal to flesh flies and attracts them with the promise of a meal. By the time the fly realises that it has been led around by the nose, it has long since pollinated the flower. Another species emits an odour that is modelled on the sexual attractants of pollinating insects. If a male insect smells the odour, it believes it will find a female willing to mate on the orchid flower and pollinates the flower while it searches in vain for its partner.
We are more fond of those orchids that have a sweet fragrance to our noses. Breeders have crossed other outstanding characteristics into fragrant orchids so that we don't have to sacrifice flowering vigour or vigorous growth. However, natural forms have the edge when it comes to fragrance. The number of scent cells in the flower determines how strong a flower smells and original forms have more of these than multihybrids.
If you want to bring such a special orchid into your home, you should contact a specialised dealer. Scented orchids are special species that are difficult to find in DIY stores.
In our favourite genus of butterfly orchids (Phalaenopsis), there are a few fragrant representatives that we are particularly fond of. The enchanting star-shaped flowers of Phalaenopsis corningiana, Phalaenopsis bellina and Phalaenopsis violacea have a spicy, aromatic fragrance reminiscent of cinnamon.
Within the Maxillaria group group, a few species such as Maxillaria tenuifolia or Maxillaria rufescens - which are also called coconut orchids for obvious reasons - have stored their exotic ancestry in their flower scent. With a scent of vanilla, lemon or coconut, they add an exotic flair to our living rooms.
We love the magnificent flowers of Coleogyne cristatabut did you know that they not only look enchanting, but also smell delicately of bananas? Even though we love orchids above all for their eye-catching, extravagant flower shape, there are still some secret treasures to be discovered in the world of scented orchids! Why don't you browse through our scented orchids category?