Sept. 9, 2024 Meeting – Edgar Stehli – Habenarias

T here’s definitely a twinge of Fall weather in the air. And although it might seem too soon, our 2024-2025 orchid season will be off to a great start before you know it.

We’ll kick off our Fall season as Edgar Stehli of Windswept in Time orchids – a fixture at our annual Spring shows – comes to town to present “Habenarias.” According to the American Orchid Society, Habenarias are “mostly terrestrial orchids that grow on all continents of the world except Antarctica. The genus is filled with a mix of large, bright-flowering species, bizarre and alien species, and tiny, weird flowers. In the past 10 years, the allure of this genus has vastly increased and their numbers in cultivation have significantly risen.”

Edgar’s interest in orchids began when he was just six or seven years old. He found a plant growing in the roadside ditch near his house in North East Ohio. When his father got home from work, he dragged him over to see the discovery. He said “Oh! That’s an orchid.” So his first orchid find was a Spiranthes (probably cernua).

In 1999 he began selling plants to area florists, then through the orchid shows. He and his wife Kim called their new business Windswept in Time Orchids; they now attend close to fifteen shows a year. Their plants and exhibits have won numerous awards, including AMs, FCCs, CCE’s, and of course, many AOS show trophies.

Edgar will be bringing plants for sale. Go to his website: Windsweptorchids.com for a price list.

The doors open at the JCC at 6:00 p.m., and the meeting will get under way at 6:30 p.m., as usual. Since Edgar will be selling plants, you might want to arrive early for the best selection. Don’t forget to bring in your own flowering plants for the Show Table – We’ll see you there!

NB: If you haven’t paid your 2024-2025 dues yet, you can pay with a check or credit card at the meeting. Just see our Treasurer, Judy Ekberg.

Edgar Stehli

Pectabenaria_Ptarmigan photo Copyright Edgar Stelhi