The East Everglades Orchid Society meets on the fourth Tuesday each month at 7:30pm at the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Services Building, 18710 SW 288 Street, 33030.

Meetings feature a guest speaker with an enlightening presentation and a judging of orchid flowers, followed by a raffle and social time with a broad range of food and refreshments. All meetings are free and open to the public.

The guest speaker is Mark Margolis on the subject of Catasetum orchids.

Catasetum is a genus of showy epiphytic Orchids, family Orchidaceae, subfamily Epidendroideae, tribe Cymbidieae, subtribe Catasetinae, with 166 species, many of which are highly prized in horticulture.

Species of the genus Catasetum occur from Mexico to Argentina, including much of Central America, the West Indies, and South America. The largest number of species is in Brazil.

They have thick, cigar-shaped pseudobulbs which are clustered. The leaves are pleated in the upper part and deciduous. The pseudobulbs become spiny after the leaves have dropped.

We believe that equipping members with knowledge empowers them to be successful in caring for, growing, showing, and propagating their orchids.

Education enables members to become accomplished enthusiasts who will not hesitate to enter their plants into orchid shows and win exclusive awards.

The Ribbon Judging is one of the highlights and a popular aspect of our meetings. It is an opportunity for members to exhibit their blooming orchids and share their growing techniques with other members.

We believe in creating an enjoyable learning environment which has several captivating facets which will keep members engaged. This includes a time set aside for refreshments and socializing.