About the Sacramento Orchid Society

The Sacramento Orchid Society was founded in 1947 as an educational organization dedicated to providing information on the cultivation of orchids to the greater Sacramento community.

Members and non-members are welcome at our FREE Monthly Meetings that feature expert speakers from around the world, opportunities for members to sell plants to one another, a raffle of plants, and a delightful measure of fellowship and good times.

The Society's very active membership grows an almost unimaginable number of orchid species and hybrids on windowsills, patios, in yards, under lights, and in greenhouses.

Orchid of the Month for March, 2019

Dendrobium Andrea Millar x convolutum

By Sheryl Harris

I grow orchids in the house in a homemade light garden and on the kitchen table with both an east facing and south facing window, where Phalaenopsis grow beautifully. When I bring anything else home, I don’t always know what to expect.

Many orchids in my collection come from the raffle table. When all the phalaenopsis and paphiopedilum are gone, I next turn to smaller dendrobiums, if available. When I brought home Den. Andree Millar x convolutum. I got a very pleasant surprise. It fits under the lights in the light garden and blooms like crazy. While researching this plant, I discovered it also known as Green Flash.

This is a free blooming, compact orchid that is 8”-10” high when mature. On my plant, each blooming pseudobulb had one spike with several 1” flowers that are chartreuse with a purple striped lip. Research says it blooms twice a year for two to three months. I haven’t had my plant a year yet, so time will tell what it will do, but it has already bloomed twice. Since I don’t have many blooming orchids in winter, this one really stands out.

This is a Latouria type orchid that likes intermediate (warm) temperature and medium light and prefers 50-60% humidity. I like to let this orchid get nearly dry before watering. For fertilizer I use 20-20-20 at half strength at least twice a month, but more often during the growing season.

When I repot, I plan to use New Zealand sphagnum moss and a clay pot. The humidity level in my home is low, so it helps to use moss in a clay pot. Orchids placed on a layer of pebbles with water held just below the bottom of the pots also increase humidity.

One of the things I like about obtaining orchids from a professional grower or from a hobbyist in our Society, is you can find ones with unusual flowers you won’t find in a big box store. With such a wide variety of orchids, you can always find something beautiful or unusual that grows and blooms in your growing environment.