January 2026 - Brandon Tam on 'Wild Orchids of Ecuador'

As we start the New Year, we are excited to welcome back Brandon Tam, who will be sharing his talk on "Wild Orchids of Ecuador” on Wednesday, January 7 at 4 pm. This will be the first talk of the year in the Pine Ave Community Center, Room 108, located at 3209 Harding St., Carlsbad, 92008. Brandon’s talk includes highlights from his adventures searching for orchids in Ecuador, with a focus of finding Selenipedium aequinoctiale. Knowing Brandon, he will also be sure to thoroughly cover the food he enjoyed eating in Ecuador as well. 

 Brandon is a shared speaker with the San Diego Orchid Society and will be speaking on Stanhopeas at their meeting on Tuesday, January 6 starting at 6:30 pm in Balboa Park (for Zoom link contact Alex Nadzan or Barry Reder for details).

Brandon Tam is the Associate Curator of the Orchid Collection at The Huntington and oversees one of the largest orchid collections in the United States and one of the most diverse species collections in the world, which has grown from 2,000 to over 10,000 plants in the past decade. He manages over 3,600 unique varieties, representing 280 genera, 2,200 hybrids, and 1,500 species. Brandon is responsible for the day-to-day curatorial operations, including horticultural operations, orchid acquisitions, propagation, conservation, and supervision of over 40 orchid volunteers. He is also tasked with coordinating numerous public and educational events, such as orchid shows, judging, and conferences. Brandon began managing the collection when he was 16 and has been with The Huntington for over 16 years.

This month’s opportunity table will be provided by Ruben Colmenares who grows his own species and hybrids at the SVO greenhouses.