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 Wendy Mazuk (grower, photographer, researcher) on the subject of The Ghost Orchid.

Dendrophylax lindenii, the ghost orchid, is a perennial epiphyte native to Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas. Other common names include palm polly and white frog orchid. Its specific epithet “lindenii” is derived from its discoverer, the Belgian plant collector Jean Jules Linden who saw this orchid for the first time in Cuba in 1844. Much later it was also discovered in the Everglades in Florida.

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.