Beguiling blooms on display during Orchid Society annual show
The enchanting blooms of the celebrated orchid bring the notion of spring closer as the Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania prepares for its annual show.
Visitors can enjoy these spectacular hues of nature on Saturday, March 15, and Sunday, March 16, starting at 9 a.m. each day at the Crown Plaza Hotel, 164 Fort Couch Road. Tickets are $5 for adults and available only at the door. Kids 18 and under are free.
Orchids have fascinated and delighted admirers down through the centuries. They are adaptive, elegant, and propagate in a multitude of varieties across the globe.
“Orchid Obsession” is the theme for the show, which promises a visual cornucopia of beauty and color. This is the 67th year for the orchid show, which was first held in 1956, with a two-year absence during the pandemic.
Kathy Arria of Canonsburg has been a member of OSWPA for the last 10 years and considers orchids an addiction. “One type isn’t enough,” said Arria, who admits to having upward of 150 plants.
With so many types of orchids, there is always something to learn. Education sessions run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and will be led by experts from Phipps Conservatory, members of OSWPA and Smithsonian-based conservation leaders. Sessions will cover orchid care, native orchids of Pennsylvania, orchid companion plants, conservation efforts, and more.
Leading the session on orchid companion plants is likely to be the youngest member in the history of the club, 16-year-old Zander Morrison, who lives in the North Hills. He has been interested in plants from a very young age.
During a visit to Phipps Conservatory during late elementary school, Morrison said he happened upon a presentation about orchids and was fascinated. Told there were pamphlets available to fill out for joining the OSWPA, he took one and brought it to the next orchid show. “I probably became one of the youngest members of the society ever. And then, the plants just came flooding in,” he said.
At last count, his plant collection numbered 134, although not all are orchids. He enjoys growing African violets and succulents. Appropriately, he will lead a session on “orchid companion plants,” those similar in growing style to orchids, and another session on the Lelia anceps, a species of orchid native to Mexico and Guatemala. “Really easy to grow, tough as nails in my opinion,” said Morrison.
There will be opportunities to view and photograph orchids, buy and sell orchids and have orchids transplanted for a fee starting at $5. On hand will be vendors from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida and Taiwan.
For more information, go to https://www.oswp.org/.