OPEN TODAY: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.

Tickets

Orchid Appreciation Day

Event
Orchid Appreciation Day

Sat., June 20, 2026, 10:30 a.m.–7 p.m.

Public: $125; Members: $99 | Dinner and wine are included.

Ahmanson Classroom

Tickets
Join us for a series of four engaging lectures by leading experts on the cultivation, conservation, and study of the orchid family.
Garden Experiences
Conferences and Symposia

KEY DETAILS

  • Unique orchids are available for purchase from vendors.
  • Evening social with dinner and wine is included in the program’s cost.

SPEAKERS

Jack Zhu

Jack Zhu

Beyond the Bloom: Variegation and Culture of Cymbidiums, including Cymbidium lancifolium

Jack Zhu, a Los Angeles–based orchid hobbyist and owner of Fang Hua Garden, specializes in Asian orchids. A leading expert in Asian Cymbidiums, he is an accredited judge in the AOS Pacific South Judging Region and has earned over 40 AOS awards, blending traditional techniques with formal judging standards.

Nicholas Rust

Nicholas Rust

Terrestrial Orchids

Nicholas Rust is an emerging orchid hybridizer and founder of RustyExotics Orchids. Since 2015, he has specialized in Habenaria, jewel orchids, Australian terrestrials, and Bulbophyllum. With a background in biochemistry, he applies a scientific approach to cultivation and hybridization, aiming to create distinctive, innovative terrestrial orchid hybrids.

Dr. Daniel L. Geiger

Daniel L. Geiger

Fascination of the Overlooked Miniature: Oberonia

Daniel L. Geiger, curator emeritus at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, is a malacologist and orchid expert with over 20 years of experience. Specializing in the genus Oberonia, he is completing a global monograph and has published widely. He serves as a trustee of the American Orchid Society.

Dr. Jason Downing

Jason Downing

The Million Orchid Project: A Modern Approach to Orchid Conservation

Originally from Kansas City, he earned degrees from the University of Kansas and Florida International University. Now Director of Research at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, he leads global orchid conservation, research, and education, including The Million Orchid Project, engaging thousands of students and restoring native orchids.