Society Invites

Orchids: The Adventure Returns via SB International Orchid Show Inc.

Thursday, February 16 | 5:30 p.m. | FREE

For more information, please call (805) 565-6051

by Joanne A Calitri

Lauris Rose, board president of the SB International Orchid Show, Inc. (SBIOS), is unstoppable in her quest to keep orchids healthy, thriving, and in the public’s view. Their annual showcase event on March 10-12 at the Earl Warren Showgrounds is once again in bloom.

Known as the all-things-orchids global expert, she and her husband have more than 50 years in the commercial orchid business as co-owners Cal-Orchid, Inc. in Goleta. This year, the SBIOS is said to be a definitive platform of international award-winning growers through young grasshoppers learning the basics.

The Royal Botanical Kew Gardens in England, using orchid DNA to create a family tree and protect species at risk, writes:

“Orchids are an incredible evolutionary success story in the plant world. They are found on every continent on the planet, in almost every habitat, and even found north of the Arctic Circle. In fact, there are nearly three times as many orchid species as there are species of birds alive in the world today.”

I couldn’t help but wonder, what exactly is the lure this ancient plant has? Is it that the name “orchis,” given by Theophrastus in 300 B.C., means “testicles” in Greek, and their medicinal use was an aphrodisiac and the promoter of virility? Is it that researchers have dated orchids from the Jurassic period to the Mesozoic era (195 to 136 million years ago) and the Cenozoic period (64 million years ago)? Or the Chinese poems written about orchids during the reign of Confucius and their use in medicinal teas for cancer, immunity, and eyesight?

Yes, all of it and more!

Meeting and interviewing Rose was like experiencing a time machine on the subject. I arrived as she was germinating a new species with DNA samplings from seeds she cultivated. For plants needing care, she has an Orchid Health Spa greenhouse, and she houses plants for select owners such as movie directors and

Thai Buddhist monks.

Our two-hour interview includes three on-site teaching videos of Rose in action recorded by yours truly to accompany the story on the MJ website and YouTube Channel. Twenty-year orchid grower and SBIOS historian Heidi Kirkpatrick was also on hand with data points.

Joanne A Calitri (JC): What makes this year’s show different, and what is the ‘adventure’ theme?

Lauris Rose (LR): More than 200 years ago, collectors in Europe sent explorers around the world to hunt for rare orchids. There was a sort of orchid fever going on, and plants that came back from these adventures were coddled in conservatories by the very wealthy. When these plants took hold and flowered, artists were hired to paint them life-size, and then books were produced that were available by subscription by other avid growers who wanted to see what was newly discovered.

The theme for 2020 was meant to spark displays depicting plants in the wild staged for discovery. Of course, COVID (restrictions) shut us down, without anyone getting to come and see the displays and celebrate the adventure of orchid discovery and cultivation, so we decided to re-launch, an adventure for those of us involved with the show! And it is a fun theme.

JC: How many varieties of orchids (Orchidaceae) will be on display, and are any on the endangered list?

Heidi Kirkpatrick (HK): Part of the adventure of the SBIOS is that we never know what our exhibitors and vendors will bring each year. We do know that there will be thousands of blooming plants and plants for sale. There are over 28,000 recognized species in some 850plus genera, and that’s not even addressing the 100,000 plus hybrids. Even the most comprehensive show or orchid collection can only represent a fraction of the orchid family. But we have vendors and exhibitors from all over the world,