Blue Orchid – Characteristics and Meaning

The blue orchid is a spectacular plant. It has a very large and beautiful flower. The intense blue color of its flowers together with the green of its leaves make it very showy and make it an ideal plant to give as a gift. Many people compare them with roses, although they have nothing to do. Roses belong to another family; they even grow better in other places.

Orchid flowers grow in many different colors. From bright red to light green. There are practically orchids of all colors. In the case of the blue orchid, you should know something that can condition you when you want to buy one.

The History of The Blue Orchid

The spectacular and wonderful blue orchid was first found in about 1837 by a botanist named William Griffith. He found it in a place called Khasia Hills in Assam, in the northeastern part of India. It was specifically Vanda coerulea, a really beautiful spice because of its bluish flowers.

But he had a problem. When he took this wonderful blue plant to England, it died. The transport, along with some problems and the change of place did not suit him very well.

A few years later, a botanist named Joseph Dalton Hooker wrote about these blue orchids found in the hills of Assam.

With time, this wonderful plant has been given the attribute of the plant of love. Therefore, when someone feels love for another person, it is often used as a gift.

Is The Blue Orchid Natural or Artificial?

Some people wonder if the blue orchid exists. And we have to say that they do exist, but with some nuances that we are going to explain below.

Unlike blue roses, the blue orchid is artificial. Its flower was originally white. Under normal conditions, it is always like that. In nature, there are no blue orchids. This means that at some point, someone decided that it would be a good choice to create a blue orchid.

Because the blue orchid is not natural, this may condition its purchase. But we believe that if you like this color, either for yourself or as a gift, you should buy it because the blue color will last longer than you might think. It usually lasts long enough for you to enjoy it.

Are Blue Orchid Flowers Real?

The blue color in flowers as such does not exist in orchids. As mentioned above, the blue orchid is artificial. On the contrary, its green leaves are real, since it is not possible to change their color.

Some orchids have a similar color, but with a violet or purple tinge. This makes them appear to be blue, but they are not. Perhaps some may have acquired a more bluish hue due to the discoloration of their flowers.

Therefore, although many people believe that these plants and their flowers are natural, they are not, no matter how much we would like them to be.

There are also more blue orchids in a mini format that are the same as the big ones but with a reduced size.

Vanda coerulea Is the True-Blue Orchid

The name of this plant is Vanda coerulea. It is one of the species whose flower has a bluish color. Although it is not quite blue but has a lilac shade close to a bluish. The flowers of the blue orchids are approximately 8 centimeters wide.

In its natural habitat, the blue-flowered Vanda grows on top of trees, especially taller ones. They are oak-like in that they have rough bark. Vanda coruela can produce up to 25 flowers per plant. Compared to other Vanda species, it can produce a lot of flowers.

Do Blue Orchids Lose Their Color?

If you are wondering if blue orchids lose their color, the answer is yes. It is a commercial product that seeks to be as showy as possible.  Because they are not natural, the artificial blue color is lost little by little.

What they do is to take a white orchid, and put a blue dye on it. It looks very nice and seems to be natural. With proper work and conditions, the result can be very good.

The problem is that with time when new flowers come out, they will be white. Although it is not a problem, since we will simply pass from having a blue orchid, to having a white orchid.

Although the rest of the plants that you can see in the stores do have natural blue flowers. You should ask for information if there is a specific one that you cannot find in your city.

Is Blue Phalaenopsis Real?

I am sorry to discourage you but if you have ever bought a blue phalaenopsis plant, it was not natural. In the case of Phalaenopsis, what they do is to take the white flowers and dye their flowers blue. It is something very common that is done nowadays to give more showiness to the plants and to give them an exotic touch.

This procedure of turning white flowers into blue flowers is something that has been done for a very long time to meet the needs of buyers.

Dyed Blue Orchids

Phalaenopsis are plants whose flowers go through many colors. From light yellow to purple to a beautiful pink. But they are never blue. So what they do when they want to make their flowers blue, they take the whitest ones and dye them artificially.

Unfortunately, many growers of this type of plant are very disappointed to learn that these plants do not exist in blue color.

Price Of Blue Orchids

If you want to know how much a blue orchid costs, you only have to go to a center where they sell orchids. From here we can tell you that there are blue orchids of all prices. From blue orchids with a price of 10 USD to orchids of more than 100 USD (Order here).

Everything will depend on the place where you are going to buy it, and it can also influence that it is a bouquet composed of other plants and flowers. They are also usually presented in a bouquet of several blue orchids. The blue flower together with other colors of flowers makes a very beautiful combination.

There are also online stores where you can buy a fantastic blue orchid. They will take care of sending the package carefully so that it arrives at you without any problems. Buying it online can be a good option if you do not have much time to go to a physical store to buy this plant. When they are going to send it to you, you can specify that you want to see it in case you decide to choose another one.

Although there are also bouquets with these beautiful flowers that will make the combination with other plants a beautiful creation.

Giving a Blue Orchid as a Gift

Giving these blue plants as a gift is a very powerful symbol that our goal is to provide welfare for our family or friends. We always keep this in mind when giving a plant as a gift.

Blue orchids are beautiful plants that have really beautiful flowers. They bring a lot of harmony to the environment and also fill life with a very special aroma. In flower shops, you will find these beautiful plants with their spectacular blue flowers.

You should combine them with a brown pot or even be more daring and use an orange pot, as it will give a lot of showiness. Learn more about the best pots for orchids.

Curiosities Of Blue Orchids

Many arrangements can be made with these beautiful blue plants. The arrangements range from pots with a flower of this color mixed with another flower of pink, green, yellow, or red. This is the most typical. Although white flowers are a good choice.

As you have been able to see, this plant has its curiosities but surely this one that I am going to tell you next you did not know it.

There is a product called Blue Orchid Oil, which is used for dehydrated skin. What this product does is tone and restore the luminosity of the skin for a long time. The blue orchid oil has good reviews and generally, people who have tried it are happy with the result.

If you are a fan of orchids we recommend our articles. Learn more about Terrestrial Orchids.