Orchids belong to the family Orchidaceae, which is one of the largest families of flowering plants. They can be found in almost every habitat on Earth. There are over 28,000 species of orchids in the world, but more are being discovered and classified to this day. There are even more man-made hybrids and cultivated varieties, adding even more diversity to this plant family.
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Orchids are most typically epiphytes, which means they attach to trees but don’t actually penetrate the bark. However, some orchids are terrestrial, which means that they grow on the ground. Some terrestrial orchids have roots that spread into the soil, but most grow from pseudobulbs.
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What Are Some Different Types of Orchids?
In this guide, we will introduce you to 50 different types of orchids that look great as a houseplant or in a bouquet, such as:
- Phalaenopsis orchid
- Vanda orchid
- Cymbidium orchid
- Encyclia orchid
- …and dozens more
50 Types of Orchids For Your Home
The Phalaenopsis orchid is one of the easiest varieties of orchids to grow, even for beginners. Native to India, China, and Southeast Asia, this orchid features long-lasting flowers and requires plenty of sun.
Producing large, fragrant flowers in vibrant colors, the Cattleya is an extremely popular choice. It’s sturdy and can take a lot of abuse from beginners just learning to care for an orchid.
The Dendrobium orchid makes a great houseplant and is an easy variety to grow. It features a tall, upright shape with small but prolific flowers and has a long bloom period for you to enjoy.
Also called Dancing Lady Orchids, Oncidium orchids feature highly modified, ruffled flowers. Native to South America, Central America, and Mexico, they are mainly epiphytic, which means they grow in trees.
5. Vanda Orchid
Originating in tropical Asia, the Vanda Orchid thrives in warm climates with plenty of sun. It features broad, flat leaves that soak up the bright sun and come in a variety of bright and vivid colors.
Native to the higher elevations of the Andes mountains in Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador, Miltoniopsis are cool-growing orchids. They are often called pansy orchids due to their similarity to garden pansies.
Also called Lady of the Night, the Brassavola orchid is known for its strong, citrusy fragrance and heart-shaped white flowers. They bloom frequently, most often throughout fall and winter.
Epidendrum Orchids are tricky to care for and thrive in bright sun or a greenhouse. They feature waxy yet leathery leaves and flowers in a wide variety of orange, white, purple, yellow, and red.
Native to the Himalayan mountains, Cymbidium orchids are accustomed to cool conditions. They feature tall spikes that produce ten to 25 flowers each that can last up to three months.
10. Laelia Orchid
Native to Mexico, the Laelia orchid features compact plants with very showy large flowers. Also called the star orchid, this variety tends to grow in dry areas and prefers cooler temperatures.
Originating from southeast Asia, Paphiopedilums are also called slipper orchids due to their unique pouch that looks like a slipper. They are easy to care for as houseplants and their care is similar to African violets.
Native to the tropical rainforests of South America, the Zygopetalum orchid is highly fragrant with scents ranging from chocolaty to spicy and peppery and flowers that bloom two to four inches in size.
13. Coelogyne Orchid
The Corlogyne orchid is popular due to its showy and fragrant flowers. In the wild, this type of orchid grows on tree branches where it anchors itself with its roots. It features long spikes with several flowers each.
Native to Costa Rica, Panama, and Peru, the Pleurothallis orchid blooms at any time of the year with a single successive flower. Also called bonnet orchids, they have thick, succulent leaves and small and unusual flowers.
15. Stanhopea Orchid
The Stanhopea orchid features medium to large spiral flowers that are highly fragrant and pollinated exclusively in the wild by male bees. The flowers last just three to five days at a time.
16. Encyclia Orchid
Also known as the co*ckleshell or clamshell orchid, the Encyclia orchid blooms for several months at a time. It features clam-shaped flowers with intricate colors and markings in a variety of colors.
Bulbophyllum orchids, also known as simply Bulbos, are the largest genus of orchids with more than 2000 species. They feature bulbous leaves and have an incredible range of flower shapes and colors.
18. Aerangis Orchid
Originating in tropical regions of Africa, the Aerangis orchid features waxy flowers that are usually white or yellow and shaped like five-pointed stars. They can grow many flowers at once and their leaves are evergreen.
19. Ludisia Orchid
Ludisia orchids, also called jewel orchids, feature distinctive pink markings on their dark green leaves. They feature a flowering spike that grows upwards and produces many little white flowers.
Hailing from Mexico through South America, Masdevallia orchids are compact plants with beautiful flowers in a range of colors. They are known for their showy flowers with tube-like sepals.
Commonly known as the coconut orchid for its strong coconut-like scent, this beautiful orchid commonly blooms in the spring. It features bright maroon and yellow flowers that slightly resembles a jawbone.
22. Catasetum Orchid
Native to tropical regions of South and Central America, the Catasteum orchid is known for its big pseudobulbs. Its blooms come in a wide variety of shapes and colors ranging from green to yellow.
23. Calanthe Orchid
Calanthe orchid is a popular orchid named from the Greek words kalos, which means beautiful, and anthe, which means flower. It features clumps of four to five flowering stems with up to 25 scented flowers each.
24. Angraecum Orchid
Native to the island of Madagascar, the Angraecum orchid typically flowers around the end of December to early January. Also known as the Darwin orchid, with large, star-shaped white flowers.
25. Vanilla Orchid
Vanilla bean orchids produce seed pods that are the source of natural vanilla flavoring used in cooking. Originating in Mexico, it features a glossy green vine, white flowers, and long vanilla bean pods.
26. Phaius Orchid
Commonly known as the nun orchid or nun’s cap, the Phaius orchid features showy and distinctive flowers. They come in a variety of colors and feature a long growing spike with several flowers each.
The Cypripedium orchid, also called the Showy Lady Slipper, grows through eastern and central Canada and the United States. It features white sepals and petals that spread out from a pink or magenta central petal.
28. Habenaria Orchid
Habenaria orchids are considered difficult to grow. However, they can thrive with proper care. Featuring a tall flowering spike, they bloom in white, green, or a yellowish color, depending on the species and variety.
29. Bletilla Orchid
Bletilla orchid, also called Chinese ground orchid, is a terrestrial flowering bulb that grows to about one foot tall and spreads about one foot wide. It hails from central and southern Japan and the mountain slopes of China.
30. Dracula Orchid
Native to tropical North and South America, Dracula orchids feature delicate, grass-like leaves and blooms that look like little monkey faces, with hair, eyes, and a nose. They are sometimes referred to as the monkey orchid.
31. Lycaste Orchid
Hailing from the tropical areas of South and Central America, lycaste orchids feature spikes of big, fragrant flowers in a variety of colors that bloom in winter and spring. They are the national flower of Guatemala.
32. Ophrys Orchid
Ophrys orchids, also known as bee orchids, feature a velvety lip that looks like a female bee and a sweet fragrance. This mimicry entices male bees to try to mate with the flower and, instead, end up pollinating it.
33. Pleione Orchid
Native to China, Nepal, and Tibet, Pleione orchids can also be grown indoors under the right conditions. In fact, they’re often called “Windowsill orchids.” They feature large blooms measuring three to four inches across.
The Renanthera orchid combines the Latin word renis, meaning kidney, and the Greek word anthera, which refers to the kidney shape of the flower. Flowers are usually red, orange, or yellow with red or purple spots.
Sarochilus orchids have attractive fleshy green leaves and produce short flowering stalks with numerous flowers. Commonly known as butterfly orchids or fairy bells, they feature prolific flowers with a sweet fragrance.
Also known as the Spotted Mule Eared orchid, the Trichocentrum orchid features large, showy blooms that are glossy brown to yellow-green with brown spots. The plant can reach up to three feet tall and blooms between April and September.
The Coelogyne Pandurata orchid, commonly known as the black orchid, features a beautiful black-painted lip that is an interesting contrast to the rest of the apple-green flower. It produces blooms that are three to four inches wide with a scent of honey and sweetness.
Dendrochilum orchids grow mainly in lower and upper montane cloud forests. They bloom in summer and springtime, producing miniature star-shaped flowers that grow in two rows up to 20 inches in length.
39. Gongora Orchid
Gondora orchids feature long, pendulous blooms that hang over the edge of their pot. They have dozens of flowers per stem and multiple stems per plant with a fragrance of cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg.
40. Leptotes Orchid
Leptotes orchid is a strong-growing and resilient orchid species. They feature beautiful blooms with elongated petals in green, white, or pink and a yellow, purple, or lilac labellum.
41. Mokara Orchid
Mokara orchids were created by cross-breeding orchids of the genera Ascocentrum, Arachnis, and Vanda. They feature star-like flowers with seven to fifteen flowers per stem in a variety of colors.
One of the largest genera in the orchid family, Pleurothallis orchids are found throughout the American tropics. Most are miniature plants featuring small blooms with beautiful, lush green leaves.
Native to the humid regions of South America and Central America, Psychopsis orchids require consistent humidity. The flowers are typically bronze and gold and very reminiscent of a butterfly, which is why they are called butterfly orchids.
Spathoglottis orchids are evergreen terrestrial orchids found from eastern and south-eastern Asia to Australia. They feature medium-sized colorful flowers with four to seven pleated bright green leaves.
45. Tolumnia Orchid
Tolumnia are miniature orchids that originate in the Caribbean with multiple blooming periods throughout the year. At six to eight inches in height, these small plants are easy to grow for any beginner.
Relatives to the Vanda orchid, the Ascocentrum orchid miniature orchids look similar to Vandas, except they are smaller and brightly colored, with quite dense, erect flower stems.
47. Brassia Orchid
Brassia caudata, commonly called the Spider Orchid, occurs in Mexico, South America, and Florida. It features glossy, long green leaves and large, spindly flowers with long slender yellow-green petals with brown spots.
48. Cochlioda Orchid
Cochiloda orchids feature dark green leaves and hot pink flowers with a prominent three-lobed white pink-tipped lip. They thrive in medium light and cool to intermediate temperatures.
49. Eulophia Orchid
The Eulophia orchid, also known as the Giant Orchid, grows from North Carolina to Florida. It features a long stalk with a bunch of small pink to purple flowers that can reach up to several feet tall.
The Zygosepalum orchid is native to the tropical rainforests of northern South America. It features beautiful green leaves and large flowers that feature curled, almost conical petals.
FAQs about Orchids
What are the most popular types of orchids?
Orchids are a diverse family of flowers with thousands of species and hybrids. Some of the most popular types of orchids include:
- Phalaenopsis Orchids. This type of orchid is known for its long-lasting flowers and easy care requirements, making them a favorite choice for beginners.
- Cattleya Orchids. Cattleyas are renowned for their large, vibrant, and fragrant flowers. They come in a wide array of colors and patterns.
- Vanda Orchids. This type of orchid is prized for its striking, large flowers and vibrant colors. They typically have long, upright stems and prolific blooms.
What are the basic care requirements for growing orchids?
The care requirements for orchids can vary depending on the specific type of orchid. Different species can have strikingly different needs. However, most orchids thrive in bright, indirect light. They do best in average room temperatures and prefer higher humidity levels. They should be watered thoroughly but not excessively, as overwatering can lead to root rot.
How long do orchids typically bloom?
The duration of orchid blooms can vary significantly depending on the specific species or hybrid. It may also depend on environmental conditions and the care you provide. Some species’ blooms last up to a couple of months, while others last only a few days.
