Sobralia Orchids-Garden Gems from OZ

The poster plant for our 1^st Annual Express Orchid Exhibition was a Sobralia species. These plants have only recently become available in large enough quantities to be accessible to the general public but are quickly gaining popularity for their appealing attributes and versatility.

Bruce Rogers, a recognized expert grower and hybridizer of Sobralia orchids is our honored guest speaker for our fundraising reception to benefit the Orchid Conservation Alliance.  Bruce began his career growing orchids professionally in the late seventies when he was hired by the City of Atlanta, GA, Parks Department to work with their orchids in the greenhouses in Piedmont Park.  Bruce’s next position was with the Rod McLellan Company in San Francisco as head grower for their boarding department and as a champion of their Vanda hybridization program.  Bruce opened Bruce Rogers Orchids in the early eighties-an orchid consulting and management company.  After two years he opened Rogers-Fishman Boarding of San Francisco.  Bruce’s passion for orchids has made him one of the foremost authorities on orchid landscaping-the designing and creating of garden environments where orchids are integrated as a primary focus.

In 2002 Bruce joined Terry Root of the Orchid Zone to form Oz Gardens-a Sobralia nursery.  Their efforts have resulted in new Sobralia hybrids with increased hardiness over a greater range of climate zones and expanded bloom seasons.  More importantly their success in propagation has led to greater availability of these formerly elusive plants.

Sobralia as a genera have some of the tallest plants and largest flowered plants in Orchidacea and the Plant Kingdom, with several species and hybrids well suited to outdoor culture in coastal California and moderate climates from Marin to San Francisco.  Please join us for this presentation and glean insights from Bruce, based on more than 25 years of working with this diverse genus, offering species appropriate for the home, garden and greenhouse.  Sobralia rogersiana is a species named in his honor.