DISAS, Flowers of the Rainbow

Michael (Mike) Tibbs is an American Orchid Society judge and owner of Exotic Plant Company {https://exoticplantcompany.com). A native of South Africa, Mike introduces us to the genus Disa,  which is indigenous to tropical and southern Africa and is renowned both for its beauty and rumored difficulty to grow. Beginning with the original discovery of Disa uniflora, the type species for the genus, he then follows up with illustrations of how some of these species are used by cultures within Africa. The primary focus of the rest of the talk relates to several species native to South Africa. First talking about habitat, Mike then talks about the plant structure, growth cycles, and cultural needs of these terrestrial plants. Finally, he discusses his hybridization program which is aimed at both the hobbyist grower and cut flower industries.