Blue Moth Orchids
Are these blue Moth Orchids too good to be true? Well, yes, they are. There are no true blue Moth Orchids. Instead, these plants have white flowers which have been injected with dye. That info is contained somewhere on the label, but many people don’t spot it, and don’t realize that these aren’t what they seem. Some customers have felt cheated when the color fades on subsequent blooms, and eventually dims to white.
Dyed flowers are nothing new. Florists have long sold dyed cut flowers (I’ve even seen green roses and mums for St. Patrick’s Day!) The technology to inject dye into living orchid plants, however, has only been around for a few years. Other colors are used, too, but blue seems to be the most popular.
Many orchid lovers despise these artificial color flowers. Certainly, the criticism that this is “gilding the lily” seems fitting. Personally, I prefer more natural beauty, and less chemical tricks. But, to each their own. Meanwhile, orchid hybridizers and geneticists are racing to make true blue Moth Orchids. For now, these dye jobs are the only way to own one.
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January 10th, 2016 at 9:04 pm
we actually sell a lot of these orchids in the floral dept where I work. they also come in lilac and deep purple called a black sapphire they are beautiful! but I do let my customers know that they are dyed. the blue one is called a blue sapphire. they make quite a conversation piece and you don’t see them everywhere, but when you do you can’t help but say WOW.