Diablo View Orchid Society
APRIL 2026 Newsletter
DRACULA.....Whimsical Monsters of the Orchid World
Have you ever seen a picture of a flower, online or in-person, that looked like a monkey's face and wondered "what on earth is that?" Well that is none other than one of the most popular orchids within the orchid family. For this month's presentation, we will get to meet an unusual, mystical character of the orchid family: the genus Dracula! Their characteristics, care and origin will be explored by Tom Etheridge as this lecture will be presented from a prerecorded webinar provided by the American Orchid Society.
With over 40 years of orchid-growing experience, Tom Etheridge serves as a judge in the Pacific Northwest Judging Center and brings a specialized, infectious passion for the Dracula genus. This webinar stems from his 25 years of cultivating and studying these often-misunderstood orchids.
Throughout the presentation, Tom covers the essential plant and flower structures of the genus, alongside their unique flowering habits and the history of their discovery and taxonomy. He further explores the natural distribution of these species, highlights the most common ones in cultivation, and discusses the various hybrids currently available in the trade. Tom provides a guide to available literature and shares his best practices for successfully growing these fascinating plants.
Due to not having a guest speaker this month, there will not be a scheduled speaker dinner.
Small and well grown
Thousands of small flowers
Welcome everyone
