There’s an Official Melania Trump Orchid, and It’s Winning Awards

Flotus gets a flower.

The American Orchid Society recognized Blc Melania Trump ‘First Lady’ with a flower quality award on May 19, 2018. This plant was given a Highly Commended Certificate or HCC/AOS and joins the hybrids of other First Ladies to be awarded including those of Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton, and Laura Bush.Photographer: Arthur Chadwick

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By Jason Tesauro

May 22, 2018 at 3:31 PM UTC

First Lady Melania Trump is back home at the White House, recovering from successful surgery for a benign kidney condition. Dictates of postmodern etiquette might warrant a Cecily Strong Saturday Night Live sketch, but classic manners call for flowers. In the case of Flotus, a simple bouquet, even an eco-friendly one, won’t do; show some real class and send an orchid with her name on it—literally.

The Rlc Melania Trump is a fuschia-hued showstopper, a first-of-its-kind hybrid cattleya orchid. During its monthly competition over the weekend, the American Orchid Society honored the orchid with one of its coveted HCC (Highly Commended Certificate) awards. Judges, who rate specimens on as many as 15 criteria, scored the Melania at the top of the HCC range.