Summary: "This article ponders the various reasons why many people are fascinated by orchids. Specifically, it mentions their enduring position in popular imagination, commercial value, and role in the sciences. The piece discusses how orchids appeal to the senses and resonate with human experience. Their popularity has led to widespread cultivation globally, including hybridization. Further, within the scientific community, orchids offer a wealth of information regarding climate change, evolutionary biology, horticultural science and conservation biology. They also have a certain cultural cachet including a rich literary history and being favored by elites."