Dyed Orchids

[oregon woodsmoke]

Is there a trick to telling if an orchid is dyed?

I just bought a phal that is the most gorgeous bright magenta color. I am hoping it is not dyed but worry about it because the entire flower is the same color.

None of the other orchids in the batch were dyed. Very obvious because the different parts of the flowers were different colors and many of them where striped or spotted.

I would be able to spot the dyed blue orchid, but only because of knowing that orchids don't come in that color. Would a nursery slip a few dyed orchids into a batch of natural flowers?

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmoke

Is there a trick to telling if an orchid is dyed?

No tricks as such. Asking the seller is one good way to find out. Or to wait for the next flowering to see if there are any differences.

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmoke

Would a nursery slip a few dyed orchids into a batch of natural flowers?

Probably not ----- as in unlikely they would do that. Asking would be the best bet though. Asking them that is.

[Veksa]

Dyed is usually blue or green, you could see an ingection site on the stalk more often then not. Maybe post a picture?

[aliceinwl]

In California, the dyed ones will often have a tag indicating they’re part of the “gemstone” collection. A picture would help. I have a natural solid magenta Phalaenopsis and I see them regularly in stores, so I think it’s likely natural.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Veksa

Dyed is usually blue or green, you could see an ingection site on the stalk more often then not. Maybe post a picture?

I agree with asking the vendor...but a photo would be helpful too. There are certainly some lovely hybrids with saturated color - and that bright magenta definitely does exist in nature. (The ones with a peach color are made by crossing a magenta flower with a yellow one, so that there's an "overlay" - really nice, but the color changes as it ages.)