San Diego International Orchid Fair
The most highly coveted of ornamental plants, the orchid, takes center stage at the 20th Annual San Diego International Orchid Fair.
Thousands of varieties of these rare, exotic, and graceful plants will be on display and on sale in the Garden’s Ecke Building from specialty orchid vendors from around the world.
Orchid-related products such as pottery, paintings, and books will be available for purchase. In addition, orchid-care lectures will be conducted throughout the day for participants to learn how to care, grow, and nurture these delicate plants. All presentations are free with paid admission or membership to the Garden.
The Orchid Fair is an official American Orchid Society (AOS) event, where these magnificent flowers will be shown and judged. Local orchid growers are encouraged to participate in the AOS event.
Orchids traditionally represent love, luxury, beauty, and strength. Different cultures throughout history have believed in the healing, disease-fighting, and protective properties of the orchid. In traditional Chinese medicine, the orchid is used to help treat coughs and lung diseases. The ancient Greeks associated the orchid with virility, and the Aztecs are believed to have mixed the vanilla orchid and chocolate into a drink to give them power and strength.