Medicinal Uses Of Orchids

Do orchids have medicinal uses?

Yes, some orchids are medicinal. For example, the North American pink ladyslipper (Cypripedium pubescens) is an excellent herb for the treatment of nervous disorders. It is also known as "nerve root" because the rootstocks are good for nervouse headache, insomnia, hysteria, and certain forms of delirium. Since the Middle Ages ladyslipper and other orchids were thought to be aphrodisiac according to the "doctrine of signatures" because the roots resemble male sexual organs. We stopped selling ladyslipper because the plant is threatened due to overharvesting and habitat destruction.