The exotic orchid looks like a delicate beauty, but with a little care you can make her right at home.

If you received a gift of flowers this holiday season, it's almost as likely it was an orchid as a poinsettia.

Like poinsettias, most orchids are discarded once the flowers drop. But the orchid's reputation as a temperamental hothouse flower is, for many species, unwarranted. In truth, say local growers, it is much easier to coax an orchid to rebloom than a poinsettia.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that only poinsettias outpace orchids in annual sales. But because orchids can be 10 times more profitable for growers than poinsettias, pot for pot, commercial growers are jumping on the orchid bandwagon. So are retailers. You can buy an orchid at grocery stores (insiders look for prizes at the Kroger on Cedar Springs) and big-box retailers, by mail order and online. And, of the multitude of orchids being sold, 80 percent are the phalaenopsis, or moth orchids.

Orchids thrive on every continent save Antarctica. They have adapted to live in all kinds of environments, from mountains to bogs, grasslands to pine forests. With a small commitment and careful placement on your part, many orchids will adapt to your living space, say local specialty merchants, several of whom started out as hobbyists.

Resources:
Cebolla Fine Flowers, 4320 Lovers Lane. 214-369-7673 or www.cebollafineflowers.com (retail store, online ordering and online orchid care tips).