First Ladies and Their Orchids: A Century of Namesake Cattleyas

For as long as orchid hybrids have been made, breeders have been naming them after prominent women of the day. European royalty were often honored and included queens, princesses, empresses, and baronesses. By the early 1900s, Queen Victoria, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Alexandra all had namesake cattleyas.

Royal titles are not part of the American culture so, in the United States, orchids are named for the wives of presidents. From Woodrow Wilson’s second wife, Edith, who coveted “canaries, bourbon, and orchids” and was given a fresh orchid bloom every day by her husband through Doctor Jill Biden, who lives just minutes from the Chadwick home in Wilmington, Delaware and spent half an hour with Art discussing orchids in the green room of the White House, we now have nineteen consecutive first ladies with namesake cattleyas. Each hybrid is as lovely and interesting as the women themselves.

The Chadwicks are responsible for much of this history. They acquired, bred, named, or presented the hybrids, got them awarded, corresponded with the first lady (or her children or grandchildren) then donated the entire collection to the Smithsonian for safe keeping. It is, after all, a National Treasure.