The Next Regular Meeting will be Wednesday, September 10th at 6:00 PM

Endangered Hybrids

Speaker: BOB Hamilton

Endangered Hybrids: Many of today's orchids contain the genome of superior orchid species imported from the tropics, mostly in the 19th and early 20th century. The Victorian orchid craze brought massive numbers of imports to the UK and Europe. From these hundreds-of-thousands, perhaps millions of plants, the best became the parents of today's hybrids.  Most of these parents have perished thus their hybrids contain their genetic legacy of superior and unique characteristics. There will never again be significant imports of such superior plants given most of their habitats have been destroyed.

 Regrettably, hobbies in general, orchid growers among them, are in decline. CITES, an Ill-conceived attempt at conservation has put the nail in the coffin for small orchid producers leaving behind only the typical orchids sold in big-box stores. My talk is a visual venture into the past, the present and the future of Andean orchid hybrids and species. 

About Bob Hamilton………

Born and raised in Berkeley, I retired as Principal Development Engineer from UC Berkeley where I oversaw the design, construction and management of semiconductor research labs, the Microfabrication Laboratory and its successor the Marvell Nanofabrication Laboratory.

John Leathers, my partner of 50 years, and I grow orchids in a glass greenhouse in the backyard of our Berkeley home as well as a larger rented greenhouse in Pacifica. John’s interest is in Draculas and Masdevallias. My interest is in Odontoglossums. In addition to growing, we’ve explored the forests of Mexico, Central America and several Andean countries discovering new species and rediscovering orchids not seen in many decades. We do our own propagations in a laboratory in our home. I am interested in plant breeding and propagation developing and sharing techniques to increase plant chromosome numbers, a useful hybridizing tool.

 In addition to orchid raising, I enjoy art and playing classical piano music.