October 2021 Speaker: Andy Easton on “Breeding Warmth Tolerant and Mini/Intermidate Cymbidiums”

Professional orchid grower since graduation from Colorado State University in 1972. Accredited as AOS judge in 1978, since retired! Grew orchids in Santa Barbara 1978-1985 then moved back to New Zealand and started Geyserland Orchids. Returned to Florida as AOS Director of Education 2000. Moved back to California in 2007 and operated New Horizon Orchids until 2018 when we moved the business to Colombia. Plants housed at Colomborquideas where l work primarily with Cymbidiums, the Odontoglossum Alliance and a hobby collection of Cattleyas.

1st VP Note: What Andy hasn’t mentioned in his brief bio is that he had had not only an illustrious career as a commercial orchid grower, judge and educator spanning multiple continents. He is a prodigious hybridizer. Of the nearly 10,000 hybridizers that have been creating orchid hybrids over nearly 170 years Andy is responsible for approximately 1 in every 100 orchid hybrids and nearly 9% of all Cymbidium hybrids. Andy’s hybridizing ranks him right after Charlesworth, Sander’s and The Eric Young Orchid Foundation. Additionally over 430 of Andy’s hybrids have been awarded, a remarkable achievement.

Andy has imported a number of his Cymbidium hybrids and they will be available on the raffle table. This is an opportunity you won’t want to miss.