During the past century, having tropical orchids as houseplants was reserved for orchid specialists and those who could afford the greenhouses and conservatories that duplicated the exotic climates where orchids were found.
Eventually, determined horticulturists identified orchids that could be grown under conditions more closely resembling our ordinary home environment. Soon, you couldn’t pick up a home decorating magazine that didn’t display an orchid plant lending its color and grace to a room setting, and Phalaenopsis orchids became the favorite.
Phalaenopsis orchids are sometimes called moth orchids because their flowers resemble a moth resting on a branch. In fact, the name is derived from the Greek words “phalaina,” meaning moth, and “opsis,” which indicates it resembles something else. For those who tire of all those syllables in Phalaenopsis, the name phal is commonly used, too.
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