The season of sports championships is about over: college football finals, Super Bowl and March Madness. Now comes the Orchid Awards Championship for the best awarded orchid in each of the 25 American Orchid Society Special Award Categories from all the 2024 awards given. These are truly global award winners, as several came from international shows with judging sponsored by AOS judging centers. Two rounds of voting by judges led to the final selections being referred to the AOS Board of Trustees for their approval. Enjoy the pictures and, where possible, select comments from individual exhibitors.
[1] Cycnodes Taiwan Gold ‘Taiwan Orange’ FCC-CCE/AOS, Butterworth Prize, Fred Clarke Award and Merritt W. Huntington Award winner.
This first orchid won a Trifecta of awards: The Butterworth Prize for best orchid culture, The Fred Clarke Catasetinae Alliance Award and The Merritt W. Huntington Award for the outstanding flower awarded a First Class Certificate (FCC): Cycnodes Taiwan Gold ‘Taiwan Orange’ FCC-CCE/AOS, November 5, 2024 at the National Cheng Kung University Fall Orchid Show (Tainan, Taiwan); exhibitor: Kuo-Fu Jian; photographer: Ming Chieh Chuang, sponsored by the Pacific Central Judging Center. The plant had 120 pristine, large, orange-tan flowers on 10 inflorescences. According to Japheth Ko, “Kuo-Fu Jian has been growing the plant for many years in his outdoor, covered garden in Taiwan. He grows in sphagnum moss with granular fertilizer, high light, waters twice a week, and even waters during the plant’s dormant period, although less often. The National Cheng-Kung University Orchid Club holds an annual one-day show and seminar with around 200 plants. AOS judging has occurred intermittently since 2018, with some of the prior plants also receiving AOS special awards.” This plant also won GrandChampion of the show — should be a “race” to see who wins next!
[2] Mediocalcar decoratum ‘Windswept’s Golden Nuggets’ CCE/AOS, Ann and Phil Jesup Award winner.
The Ann and Phil Jesup Botanical Trophy was awarded to the most outstanding orchid species: Mediocalcardecoratum ‘Windswept’s Golden Nuggets’ CCE/AOS, November 9, 2024, at the Niagara Frontier Orchid Society Show (Hamburg, NY), Toronto Judging Center; exhibitor: Windswept in Time Orchids; photographer: Ed Cott. Edgar Stehli commented, “I purchased the plant about 15 years ago from a vendor in Hawaii. The plant was mounted on tree fern, and I had a hard time keeping it happy, so I set the mounted plant in a bulb-pan with medium bark mix. The plant responded well. The plant was getting ready to bloom in the fall of 2023 and was ready to go to judging at the Great Lakes Judging Center. The weather gods had different plans. We ended up with an ice storm, and the trip was canceled. But good things come to those who wait. The following fall, the plant looked even better and received this award.” Kudos to the members of the judging team who counted all those flowers!
[3] Paphiopedilum Leeanum ‘MELS’ AM-CCE/AOS, W.W. Wilson Award winner.
The W.W. Wilson Award is given to the most outstanding example of the Cypripedium Alliance: Paphiopedilum Leeanum ‘MELS’ CCE/AOS and AM/AOS, November 20, 2024, at the Asociacion Altaverapacense de Orquideologia Show sponsored by the Puerto Rico Judging Center; exhibitor: Edgar Leonel Zanuncini; photographer: Jorge Arnulfo Carlos Sanchez. A marvelous specimen plant from a heritage primary Paphiopedilum hybrid (insigne × spicerianum) first registered in 1884. It was selected Best in Show at Coban, Guatemala. According to Rene Garcia, “(the show) was very well organized, mostly species, and it was set up by genus. The Leeanum was at the foot of three tables full of Paphiopedilum species and hybrids.” What a lovely centerpiece!
[4] Cattleya Exotic Fireworks ‘Sith Red’ AM/AOS, Masatoshi Miyamoto Award winner.
The Masatoshi Miyamoto Award is for the best of the Cattleya Alliance: Cattleya Exotic Fireworks ‘Sith Red’ AM/AOS, March 16, 2024, at the Springfield Orchid Society Show (Springfield, MO), Mid-America Judging Center; exhibitor: Dean Harrison; photographer: Matthew Nutt. This compact plant was only 6.7 inches (17 cm) tall with five striking flowers on two inflorescences. The plant came from Sunset Valley Orchids in California, known for small, compact cattleyas with vibrant colors. Dean said, “growing in Tulsa, Oklahoma is definitely different than growing in California… the most important thing to me is, can I reflower? And I have had great luck with their plants!”
[5] Phalaenopsis bellina ‘Chen’ CCE/AOS, Herbert Hagar Award winner.
The Herbert Hager Award is given for the most outstanding Phalaenopsis: Phalaenopsis bellina ‘Chen’ CCE/AOS, November 5, 2024, at the National Cheng Kung University Fall Orchid Show (Tainan, Taiwan), sponsored by the Pacific Central Judging Center; exhibitor: Min-Hsien Yang; photographer: Ming Chieh Chuang. The exhibitor’s comments translated, “This plant is (an) original plant, not a mericlone, which I grow for the original owner, Mr. Jin-Hsin Cheng, at my greenhouse. I saw potential for this plant, that if I can keep many leaves on the plant, it should bloom with at least five flowers on an inflorescence. Little did I expect that I could bloom it with 15 flowers (on one branched inflorescence). It bloomed and peaked at the right time for the show. As many good growers have said, it’s not about how well flowers bloom, but how cleverly they bloom!”
[6] Scaphosepalum rapax ‘Colombo’ CCE/AOS, Carlyle A. Luer Award winner.
The Carlyle A. Luer Award is given to the best of the Pleurothallid Alliance: Scaphosepalum rapax ‘Colombo’ CCE/AOS, August 6, 2024, at the Colombia Exotica (Medellín, Colombia), sponsored by the West Palm Beach Judging Center; exhibitor: Colomborquideas Ltda.: photographer: Nicolas Gomez Rios. Juan Felipe Posada (owner and grower) related, “I acquired this plant in October 2013. Since then, it has been on one of the benches of my greenhouse going from one side to the other, without any dividing, as I wanted a big specimen plant to exhibit in different shows… The funny story around this plant… when I pulled it to take to a show, my wife, Maria Victoria, laughed, wondering why I would take such an ‘ugly’ thing to exhibit.” Not so my friend!
[7] Vanda Grove’s Dream ‘Whisper Ultraviolet Fantasy’ FCC/AOS, Roy T. Fukumura Award winner.
The Roy T. Fukumura Award is given to the most outstanding example of the genus Vanda, and related genera: Vanda Grove’s Dream ‘Whisper Ultraviolet Fantasy’ FCC/AOS, September 14, 2024, at the Florida North-Central Monthly Judging; exhibitor: Wes and Laura Newton; photographer: Wes Newton. Wes said, “We purchased the plant from The Orchid Works in Hawaii about a year ago. Laura tends to throw a few vandas into the shopping cart when she is buying bulbophyllums. When it started to spike, we were pretty excited … and Laura said it looks pretty good...let’s take it into judging and see what it gets. One of the judges on the team said that it was the finest V. coerulea hybrid to date. We have since bred this to another of our awarded vandas, hoping that it will pass on some of its fabulous attributes.”
[8] Miltonia Goodale Moir ‘Golden Wonder’ CCE/AOS, James and Marie Riopelle Award winner.
The James and Marie Riopelle Award is for the most outstanding example of Miltonia/Miltoniopsis: Miltonia Goodale Moir ‘Golden Wonder’ CCE/AOS, August 3, 2024, at National Capital Center Monthly Judging; exhibitor: Sergey and Elena Skoropad; photographer: Sarah Hurdel. Sergey relates, “This plant was a gift from a fellow AOS judge … a bare root division I planted in a wooden basket in a bark mix… the next year this plant doubled in size. Our Miltonia Goodale Moir gets full sun outside in summer and grows under lights during wintertime… a fantastic hybrid which can tolerate a wide range of temperatures and is very easy to grow.”
[9] Oncidium Stipple ‘Hawk Hill’ AM/AOS, Robert B. Dugger Award winner.
The Robert B. Dugger Odontoglossum Award for plants that have parentage that contains an Odontoglossum as defined by the taxonomy in place at the time the award was established (1996): Oncidium Stipple ‘Hawk Hill’ AM/AOS on April 3, 2024, at the California-Sierra Nevada Center Monthly Judging; exhibitor: Tyler M. Albrecht; photographer: Lynne Murrell. Tyler’s plant was originally from Bob Hamilton. “It was purely by chance that I ended up with the plant. When visiting the greenhouse… this plant was spotted. Bob… told me this plant was really something that I should add to my group. Having full faith in Bob, it came home. I bloomed it out and realized that it truly was something quite nice!” Advice from a fellow orchidist is often very worthwhile!
[10] Dendrobium Nagomi 'Punkin & Miss Kitty' CCE/AOS, Benjamin Kodama Award winner.
The Benjamin Kodama Award is given for the most outstanding Dendrobium Alliance: Dendrobium Nagomi ‘Punkin & Miss Kitty’ CCE/AOS, April 20, 2024, at Carolinas Center Monthly Judging; exhibitor: Sarah Patterson; photographer: Jeremy Losaw. About this plant, Sarah said, “I purchased it unbloomed in 2016 (I failed to note exactly where…. likely at an orchid show). I grow it in Orchiata seedling bark mixed with perlite and cork bits in a very simple orchid tank with bright light, lots of humidity and air movement. It first received an AM/AOS in May 2019. I named it ‘Punkin & Miss Kitty’, memorializing my two beloved cats. Some of my favorites are the orchids which offer a big flower payoff per square inch — this one is a perfect example of just that!” They say cuthbertsonii hybrids are difficult to grow, not for Sarah!
[12] Angraecum longicalcar 'Chadwick' CCE/AOS, Fred Hillerman Award winner. Photograph by Bayard Saraduke.
The Fred Hillerman Award is given for the best of the Angraecoid Alliance: Angraecum longicalcar ‘Chadwick’ CCE/AOS, October 12, 2024, at the Mid-Atlantic Center Monthly Judging; exhibitor: Chadwick and Son Orchids, Inc.; photographer: Bayard Saraduke. Chadwick Orchids are known for their cattleyas, but Art mentioned, “We acquired this plant about five years ago from a commercial grower who was going out of business. Purely as an afterthought, a few other “novelties” were thrown in, including this Angraecum. In 2024, it was no easy task to get this thing to judging with those seven spikes dangling everywhere! We put the plant in the front seat of a van, secured it with a seat belt, and drove very slowly.” Even plants should always wear seatbelts!
[11] Lycaste Abou First Spring 'Will' AM/AOS, Benjamin C. Berliner Award winner.
The Benjamin C. Berliner Award is given for the most outstanding Lycaste, Ida, Anguloa and their intergeneric hybrids: Lycaste Abou First Spring ‘Will’ AM/AOS, February 10, 2024, at the Southern Ontario Orchid Society Show, Toronto Judging Center; exhibitor: Rick Rempel; photographer: Jay Norris. Rick said, “I received the plant as part of a collection from a friend who had rescued the plants from another grower who had passed… as is common in such cases, the plants had been neglected for some time and needed a lot of TLC. After a few years of rehab, the plant bloomed in my unheated, unfinished basement that I call my ‘Pleuro Palace’… all my Pleurothallid Alliance plants plus Den.cuthbertsonii and cooler growing lycastes dwell in that room. It has a plastic vapor barrier, shelving, LED lighting and multiple fans for constant airflow — and it isn’t big enough!” Does anyone else have a space problem for their orchids?
[13] Oncostele Dusky Birds ‘Mele Kalikimaka’ AM-CCM/AOS, Milton Carpenter Award winner.
The Milton Carpenter Intergeneric Oncidiinae Award is presented for the most outstanding intergeneric hybridizing within the Oncidiinae: Oncostele Dusky Birds ‘Mele Kalikimaka’ CCM & AM/AOS, July 25, 2024, at the Hilo Orchid Society Show, Hawaii Judging Center; exhibitor: Mauna Kea Orchids; photographer: Glen Barfield. James McCully originated and registered this hybrid in 2022 as part of his breeding for fragrant hybrids. “It’s not what I intended to do! I wanted a fragrant, compact, red flower with some white highlights, and instead got a towering windmill of ochre (earth color) with alabaster offsets. It does have a whiff of fruit and honey. It first bloomed near Christmas, thus Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas in Hawaiian).” The picture of the inflorescence does look a bit like a Christmas tree.
[14] Cymbidium Darrel Wong ‘Noisettes’ AM/AOS, Ernest Hetherington Award winner.
The Ernest Hetherington Award is given for the most outstanding Cymbidium: Cymbidium Darrel Wong ‘Noisettes’ AM/AOS, March 16, 2024, at the Pacific Central Judging Center; exhibitor: Pierre Pujol; photographer: Chaunie Langland. Pierre commented, “This award is ‘triple’ rewarding for me: first as the exhibitor and second as the plant’s hybridizer. But it is also a way to recognize the generosity of my good friend, Darrel Wong — I named the plant after him — who gave me the mother plant and, a few years later, the pollen of the other parent to make the cross. Just one flask with 20 seedlings came back from the lab. These seedlings, however, generated four AMs, one HCC, and now this recognition award! Sometimes one is lucky!”
[15] Bulbophyllum macrobulbum ‘Grand Masterpiece’ FCC/AOS, Bill Thoms Award winner.
The Bill Thoms Award is given for the most outstanding Bulbophyllinae: Bulbophyllum macrobulbum ‘Grand Masterpiece’ FCC/AOS, May 3, 2024, at the Platinum Coast Orchid Society Show (Melbourne, FL), Florida North Central Judging Center; exhibitor: Krull-Smith; photographer: Wes Newton. The award described four magnificently full, open, beautifully colored flowers on one inflorescence with a seed capsule on an older inflorescence. Who knows what the future cross will be! Krull-Smith has received numerous AOS Special Awards over the years and will host the AOS Spring Members Meeting this month.
[16] Stanhopea Betty Castillo ‘Luis Daniel’ FCC/AOS, Frank Sr. and Elizabeth Jasen Award winner.
The Frank Sr. and Elizabeth Jasen Award is given for the best of the Stanhopeinae: Stanhopea Betty Castillo ‘Luis Daniel’ FCC/AOS, April 11, 2024, at the Asociacion Orquideologica de Cartago (Cartago, Costa Rica), sponsored by the Puerto Rico Judging Center; exhibitor: Luis D. Blanco; photographer: Jorge Enrique Cespedes. This plant had three exceptional, flat, colorful flowers on one 7.9-inch (20 cm), pendulous inflorescence in perfect condition. Also, the photographer captured the essence of the beauty, not an easy task!
[17] Vanda Pottsy’s Magenta Delight ‘Pottsy’s Ray’s Magenta Delight’ AM/AOS, Fuch’s Family Award winner.
The Fuchs Family Award is given for the most outstanding Vanda: Vanda Pottsy’s Magenta Delight ‘Pottsy’s Ray’s Magenta Delight’ AM/AOS, April 27, 2024, at the Tulsa Orchid Society Show (Tulsa, OK), Great Plains Judging Center; exhibitor: Ray and Annette Potts; photographer: Bryon Rinke. This is one of two 2024 special awards received by this exhibitor. Eleven round, flat flowers on one inflorescence were magnificent!
[18] American Orchid Society Gold Certificate ‘Feeling GOLDEN!’ GC-ST/AOS, Walter Off Exhibit Award winner.
The Walter Off Exhibit Award is given to the most outstanding AOS Show Trophy Award, Silver Certificate, Gold Certificate or Educational Award: American Orchid Society Gold Certificate ‘Feeling GOLDEN!’ GC/AOS & ST/AOS, March 7, 2024, at the Maryland Orchid Society Show (Timonium, MD), National Capital Judging Center; exhibitor: National Capital Orchid Society; photographer: Sarah Hurdel. Jason Gebbia commented on generating the display, “We worked for the week leading up to the show, exchanging pictures of plants by text, building design mockups, and sharing ideas about staging set-ups. Once we set the large Cymbidium and worked out the facing, we were off. We had the exhibit installed in a little over 3.5 hours. On several occasions, we were holding one member or the other by their belts as we tried to work the final touches, elevating the Epidendrum, working in the rothschildianum, even building props to elevate the yellow phal’s spike.” What a wonderful job. Glad no one fell into the display!
[19] Myrmecocattleya Memoria Louise Fuchs ‘Orquivalle’ AM/AOS, Paul and Mary Storm Award winner.
The Paul and Mary Storm Award is given to the most outstanding example of a hybrid with at least one valid Myrmecophila species or a former Schomburgkia species now classified in the genus Laelia: Myrmecocattleya Memoria Louise Fuchs ‘Orquivalle’ AM/AOS, October 24, 2024, at the Asociacion Vallecaucana de Orquideologia Show (Cali, Colombia), sponsored by the West Palm Beach Judging Center; exhibitor: Orquideas Del Valle; photographer: Juan Carlos Uribe. Andrea Niessen said, “We first met the late Paul Storm at one of the earliest orchid shows we attended in the USA, held in 1997 at Quail Gardens in San Diego. Over the years, we exchanged many Schomburgkia species (reclassified as laelias or myrmecophilas) with Paul. At Orquivalle, we grow these using a combination of coarse bark and charcoal in the warm greenhouse, where they get 50 percent light, constant air movement and regular water and fertilizer application.” One also needs adequate height in the greenhouse for these bloom spikes!
[20] '('Rainbow' x self)' AQ/AOS, Martin Motes Orchid Breeder's Award winner.
The Martin Motes Orchid Breeder’s Award is given to the breeder and exhibitor of the best Award of Quality or Award of Distinction: Zygoneria Adelaide Meadows ‘(‘Rainbow’ x self)’ AQ/AOS, February 6, 2024, at Pacific South Monthly Judging; exhibitor: Fred Clarke; photographer: Arnold Gum. Fourteen plants were exhibited and two received AM/AOS awards as well. “The cultivar rainbow was exceptionally nice and had been in my personal collection for many years. We hadn’t seen them available in the marketplace for many years, and so we thought it would be a great idea to self this plant. To our surprise, the average quality of every plant that bloomed was exceptional!” per Fred Clarke.
[23] Dracula navarroorum 'Salacious Crumb' AM/AOS, Mario and Conni Ferrusi Award winner. Photograph by Lynne Murrell
The Mario and Conni Ferrusi Award is given for the most outstanding example of Masdevallia, Dracula, or Dracuvallia: Dracula navarroorum ‘Salacious Crumb’ AM/AOS, April 3, 2024, at the CaliforniaSierra Nevada Center Monthly Judging; exhibitor: Tyler M. Albrecht; photographer: Lynne Murrell. This is Tyler’s second Special Award this year. “This plant was actually a gift from another fellow judge; his greenhouse was too warm and too dry to try to grow Dracula. As for the cultivar name ‘Salacious Crumb,’ that is a character from Star Wars (the pet Monkey Lizard of Jabba the Hutt). My son and I are very much into Star Wars, and many of my awarded plants are named after characters from the movie series.” The Force is certainly with your orchids!
[21] Brassocattleya Gulfshore's Beauty 'Green Gem' AM-CCM/AOS, Renee and Marvin Gerber Award winner.
The Reneé and Marvin Gerber Award is given to the most outstanding hybrid with a Brassavola as a parent: Brassocattleya Gulfshore’s Beauty ‘Green Gem’ AMCCM/AOS, October 26, 2024, at the Pacific South Monthly Judging; exhibitor: George Pflaum; photographer: Arnold Gum. George relates, “This plant certainly likes its home in my lath house located within 2 miles (3.2 km) of the coast in San Diego County. It hangs high in the lath house, so it is exposed to maximum light and heat and grows outside all year round in our subtropical environment.”
[22] Vandachostylis Lou Sneary 'Pottsy's Lavendar Kisses' CCE/AOS, Deb Bodei Fukiran Award winner.
The Deb Bodei Fukiran Award is given for the most outstanding example of Vanda (Neofinetia) falcata or its F1 hybrids: Vandachostylis Lou Sneary ‘Pottsy’s Lavendar Kisses’ CCE/AOS, July 13, 2024, at the Mid-America Center Monthly Judging; exhibitor: Ray and Annette Potts; photographer: Matthew Nutt. This was a massive plant with 600 flowers and 250 buds on 40 inflorescences.
No overtime. No video review of the referee’s calls. These awarded champions are for real. Thanks to the exhibitors, our wonderful photographers and judges for all their work. Now, on to the 2025 awards for next year’s “Orchids Madness” winners!
— Nile Dusdieker is an accredited judge in the Chicago Center and a member of the AOS editorial board (niledusdieker@gmail.com).
