Orchids are synonymous with the Aloha State and paradise. For centuries, they have been the symbol of love, beauty and luxury. The Greeks considered them a symbol of virility, while the Chinese called them "the plant of the King’s Fragrance." In the middle ages, orchids were used in herbal remedies. They were also thought of as an aphrodisiac and were used in love potions. If orchids appear in a dream, they represent a deep need and desire to keep gentleness, delicacy and romance in one’s relationship.

There are over fourteen hundred varieties of dendrobium orchids and numerous hybrids. Their ease of cultivation, long flowering season and healthy blossoms make them one of Hawai`i’s popular flowers. Most of the orchids found here are the tough hybrids whose blossoms are purple or white.

Orchids are part of the world’s largest family of plants. They grow wild in every country except Antarctica.

Like their relative the lily family, orchids have three sepals and three petals. The middle petal of all orchids is transformed into a unique structure called the "labellum" or lip. This lip is always different from the other two petals.