October 2021 – Peter T. Lin

Peter T. LinWe are delighted to welcome back Peter T. Lin who has previously spoken to our society on a number of interesting orchid topics. This month Peter will present a talk on ‘Neofinetia falcata and its Hybrids’.  Peter’s fast paced PowerPoint presentation will feature this Japanese native orchid species, a bit of history, the many forms and varieties, and a selection of its hybrids within the Vanda alliance.  He also will discuss on how to grow these marvelous temperature tolerant orchids.

Neofinetia falcata is native to Japan and has been grown there for centuries.  They are highly treasured and come in many flower forms and leaf forms.  The species has been used with other vandaceous genera to produce charming compact hybrids that Peter also will highlight.

Peter started growing orchids over 35 years ago, but then stopped due to school and starting a career.  It wasn't until about 15 years ago that the orchid "bug" came back and he is now heavily involved once again.  He is an accredited judge with the American Orchid Society and a hybridizer of mini-catts.  He enjoys meeting with other orchid enthusiasts, and can often be found at various orchid shows and societies around the country.  He also has thousands of photos of his orchids that he maintains on Flickr.

Peter’s website has additional information on his orchids and on plants for sale.

Due to limited growing space, Peter likes to specialize in miniature orchids, both species and hybrids, and has received numerous AOS awards.  His other interests in orchids include Dendrobiums, Angraecoids, and, of course, Neofinetias!  He maintains a collection of a thousand or more orchids at his home in Southern California in 3 small greenhouses, outdoors, as well as in the house under fluorescent lights.

Peter will be providing the plants for this month's raffle table.  There will be a nice selection of orchids, so be sure to buy your tickets!