Birth flower for October 7
Cattleya
Meaning: elegance, mature charm
In 1818 the English horticulturist William Cattley noticed some odd plants used as packing material around a shipment from Brazil. He potted them up, and they opened into spectacular ruffled blooms, so the orchid was named after him. Big, bright and often fragrant, cattleyas became the 'queen of orchids' and the classic corsage flower at dances in Europe and America.