Encyclia polybulbon `Larch Hill
Memoria Fred Morse’

It seems somewhat incongruous that such a diminutive plant has such a long name. Like many of our plants at the greenhouse they often have a story in their background. This plant originally came from Linda Gallo, an artist, who designed the original Amherst Orchid Society T shirt. She decided to move to Arizona and sold her collection. I bought the plant for $3.00 and over the years divided it many times and sold pieces of it. Finally I decided to mount it on a large slab of tree fern and grow it horizontally and surround it with moss. It has been grown that way in a cool greenhouse and kept moderately moist for several years now.

The second part of the story is Fred Morse, a long time member of the Amherst Orchid Society, who was found to have lung cancer. After long treatment he eventually found himself in Hospice care. Club members visited and did all they could to cheer him up. While he was in Hospice he listed all the plants in his collection and indicated to whom they were to go to on his death. When we went to get the plants he had over 800 plants in a 2 room apartment.

Fred loved to go on trips to greenhouse with club members. He had a love of miniature orchids and often had a hard time growing them. After his death I thought if I ever had a miniature plant awarded, I would name it in his memory. At this February’s show the plant received an AOS Judges Commendation and was named in Fred’s memory.

I will cite only a portion of the description given by the judges: “Thirty-six flowers held erect terminally on 2-3 cm inflorescences on approximately 150 growths. Commended for unusual culture and presentation … has been grown intermingled with a carpeting of moss on a horizontal slab creating a presentation evocative of a Lilliputian, mossy, orchid forest.”

Awarded 'Best Cattleya in Show,' New Hampshire Orchid Society, Feb. 23rd, 2007.