South Coast Orchid Society

The South Coast Orchid Society will present a free program by Douglas Overstreet, wellknown orchid guru and judge, on “Five Favorite Dendrobiums” on Monday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Whaley Park Community Center, 5260 E. Atherton St., Long Beach.

Overstreet has been growing orchids in Southern California for decades, first as a hobby, and then as a career. He is currently the orchid specialist in charge of the Thornton Conservatory and the Ernest Hetherington Memorial Cattleya Collection.

The Dendrobium orchids are a group of at least 1600 known species found in nature mostly in Southeast Asia, but extending all the way from Japan to India and Australia. Overstreet will present a few of the Dendrobiums that are likely to thrive in the area, with some background about the country of origin and overall habitat, history and cultural notes. Some of the cold-tolerant Dendrobiums are blooming right now, so there will be a selection from members’ gardens on display at the meeting. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, email southcoastorchidsociety@ gmail.com.