Orchids enjoy sales boom thanks to style gurus

Of all the trends to come out of television makeover shows, the rise of the orchid must be the most pleasing. Shops say sales of orchids this winter are rivalling those of poinsettias, traditionally the favourite plant at Christmas time.

Flower sellers ascribe orchids' popularity to their adoption by celebrity designers such as Linda Barker and Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, who are more commonly associated with turning living rooms into "Greek temples" and flaunting fibreboard as a style accessory.

The orchid was Britain's most liked houseplant last year, according to research by the Flowers and Plants Association.

Sales of the plant at Dutch Auction - Europe's largest flower and plant trading organisation - have more than doubled in the past three years .

For the first time, Marks & Spencer is selling the same amount of orchids as poinsettias this Christmas. The store chain expects to sell four times more orchids over the festive period than it does at other times of the year.

Gemma Payne, a spokeswoman for the Flowers and Plants Association, said: "The plethora of TV makeover shows such as Changing Rooms have helped sales to increase. Orchids are often used when the room is being finally dressed.

"They are so elegant and stylish that they finish the room perfectly. It's the same with magazines - people see orchids in pictures of stylish homes and then decide to buy them. Orchids have come down in price and breeding techniques allow them to be cloned instead of grown as seedlings which means they can be grown more quickly. They are a particularly fascinating and beautiful plant and they are seen as exotic."

Ideal Home magazine's stylist Ali Bradshaw said: "The oriental look of the orchid is appealing to a lot of people. Oriental-style things are very fashionable - whether it's fabrics or the actual plants themselves. They are very sculptural - they go with the minimal look. They are chic and unfussy."

Orchids are are prevalent in tropical and semi-tropical regions of the world such as Asia, South and Central America but some are native to Britain.

Jo Oliver, a spokesman for Marks & Spencer, said: "People used to be scared of buying exotic plants because they were afraid they didn't know how to look after them properly."