Please note that the 2026 version (#266744) and 2024 version (#265413) differ in physical dimensions and pagination. The contents are otherwise identical.
#266744: 188 × 243 mm, 256 pages
#265413: 223 × 288 mm, 224 pages
Queen of the night, Darwin's comet, lady's slipper, little dragon, black chimaera – the otherworldly names of orchid species are as beautiful as these sought-after flowers themselves.
From flamboyant and colourful to strange and understated, and from alpine meadows to cloud forests, the orchid's variety and range is unparallelled – and has made it an object of obsession to plant collectors for centuries. With over 250 stunning botanical illustrations and fascinating documents from the archives at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, The Orchid explores 40 different varieties of this evocative and elusive flower.