The Malibu Orchid Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a local group this spring.
The Malibu Orchid Society was founded in the spring of 1963 by Hugo Freed, an orchid hybridizer and lecturer who was the general manager of Arthur Freed’s Orchids on Bonsall Drive in Malibu. The group had eight charter members, including Amado Vazquez, the head grower on the orchid ranch, and Madelaine Fobert, who served as membership secretary for 20 years. The group began hosting meetings at various locations, including local homes and restaurants.
In 1974, Hugo Freed retired and sold the orchid ranch to Vazquez, and it became Zuma Canyon Orchids. The location has since been used for many orchid society picnics, parties and events.
Some influential society members from over the years include Trudi Marsh, who designed the club’s logo that was inspired by the late Helen Pastushin, and Georg and Gerlinde Stelzner, who moved to Malibu in 1982 and have since served as orchid show designers, among many others.
Before they were available in most grocery stores, orchids were publicized through orchid shows, many of which have been attended by the local club since the 1960s. More recently, the orchid society has participated in the Malibu Arts Festival.
The Malibu Orchid Society meets the third Tuesday of every month at the Pacific Palisades Women’s Club. For more information, visit malibuorchidsociety. org.