The Member Societies of the EOC

Belgium * Denmark * Finland * France * Germany * Hungary * Italy * Ireland * Netherlands * Norway * Poland * Portugal * Spain * Switzerland * United Kingdom

Orchideeën Vereniging Vlaanderen (VZW)

is a Belgian nonprofit organization following the Belgian laws. The O.V.V. has been founded in 1973 as ‘De Orchideevriend’ but changed name in the early 2000’s.

The O.V.V. has 5 regional clubs (West-Vlaanderen, Oost-Vlaanderen, Antwerpen, Limburg, Leuven en Vlaams Brabant. They meet once a month for lectures, chatting or discussions about orchids… Most clubs also have a monthly tombola that, of course, attract the members a lot. The money earned with this goes to the organization of the club.

In 1983 we had our first orchid show in the UGent Botanic Garden. Other shows there followed in 1986, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2007 and 2009. In 2007, 2009 important shows ware organized in Alden Biezen (named ‘Orchilim’) and also in 2011 an orchid show will be organized there. Alden Biezen is a top site, an old commanderie, owned by the Flemish government that was completely restored (www.alden-biesen.be). The both passed shows ware a huge success.

The website and the bulletin brought many interested people to become member.

Dansk Orchide Klub (DOK)

Founded 1960, consists of six local clubs that covers the whole part of Denmark. The organisation is dedicated for both terrestrial and epiphytic orchids.

France Orchidées

The purpose of “France Orchidées” is cultural and scientific; it aims at the development, coordination and promotion of activities related to orchids.

France Orchidées successfully organized the 18th “World Orchid Conference” in Dijon (2005). The proceedings, a 620 page volume, have been published in the following year. The next action was the Organization of a Symposium to celebrate the three hundred anniversary of Carl Von Linné and Buffon and the edition of its proceedings (Belin – 2008).

Meanwhile, the association participates as a partner or organizer in floral and orchid shows (Pau 2006 and 2010, Talant in 2011). Presentations are made at each of these events emphasizing the importance of species conservation through their habitats: municipalities are learning about the positive effects of “late mowing” of the road sides and children are becoming aware of orchid protection.

Association Francophone pour le Jugement d’Orchidées (AFJO)

AFJO, acronym of “French speaking Association for OrchidJudging” gathers enthusiasts who are interested in learning how to judge. Some are professionals or accredited judges and act as such at the WOC 2005 ‘s judging in Dijon. Others are experienced amateurs who wish to improve their knowledge in orchids, their favorite plants. Judges are trained at exhibitions or lessons and hopefully learn more than the basics of judging criteria. One of the goals of the association is to sustain this discipline through education. 18 judges (local and international) are currently recognised by AFJO.

Fédération France Orchidées (FFO)

Société Nationale d’Horticulture de France (SNHF)

The Société national d’Horticulture de France is an old society gathering associations (and individuals) interested or involved in all kind of horticultural activities. It is organized in a variety of thematic sections. One of them is the ” Section Orchidées” of which I am the president. This section was received as a member of EOC during the Budapest meeting. This section is a forum gathering  orchid associations, offering to them a forum where they can meet, exchange and join their actions. Among more specific activities we could point out formations sessions for gardening store sales persons, animation on

Deutsche Orchideen Gesellschaft (DOG)

The D.O.G. e.V., founded 1906 in Berlin as “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Orchideenkunde”, represents more than 3000 members worldwide today. From people who love flowers and orchid lovers through orchid scientists to Orchid sellers, all of them are active in the society.

The goal of D.O.G. e.V. is to promote the orchidology within the national education through all social levels. For this goal the D.O.G. e.V. provides monthly judgings including photo-documentation of the judged plants, symposia with lectural lessons, exhibitions across germany and many things more.

The journal “Die Orchidee” distributed to more than 35 countries, will be published bimonthly on the DIN A4-format with more than 50 pages colourful on high-gloss paper. The membership-fee of 50 € per year, 60 € for foreign country members incl. standard postage, contains the delivery of “Die Orchidee”.

Magyar Orchidea Társaság

The professional aim of the Hungarian Orchid Society is to give scientific and practical support for its members’ activities – for a professional or leisure purpose – on the protection, cultivation, multiplication, and physiological phenomena research of the orchid species.

It is stated in our regulations: “The aim is to take good care of the members’ professional and social relationships, to arrange club-like gatherings and exhibitions, to organize high-level presentations and conferences with the invitation of local and foreign lecturers. Part of the society’s activities is providing information service about the biological-scientific research; a basic mission is the protection of nature and the environment. The Society publishes booklets, runs a professional journal, and organizes research and education exchange-programs both locally and abroad.

Also the Society arranges exhibitions and fairs two times a year – in the spring and autumn, for both events we invite exhibitors and sellers from abroad as well. Currently we have 250 members. We operate a website, and we also have a page on Facebook, where we notify the general public about the events of the Hungarian Orchid Society, and where we try to recruit further members.

In connection with different websites we provide online orchid consultation.

Associazione Italiana di Orchidologia (A.I.O.)

The goals of the Association are to increase and spread knowledge and interest in orchids and to foster relations between orchid researchers and orchid enthusiasts. To achieve this, the Association aims:

1 – to promote the printing of an international scientific journal on Orchids, which will collect both original works and information materials on orchiodology

2 – to promote and co-ordinate the judging of orchids presented for competition in national and international exhibitions on Italian territory

3 – to promote courses for judges at national level and to encourage national judges to participate in international juries

4 – to keep an up-to-date list of national judges and to accredit them to international juries

5 – to spread information of common national and international interest

6 – to issue certificates, diplomas, prizes, certificates and anything else established from time to time in recognition of merits for participation in exhibitions (stands, systematic groups, species and hybrids presented at the table)

7 – to disseminate at European and international level, the activities, conventions and congresses promoted at national level.

Associazione Meridionale Amatori Orchidee  (AMAO)

The Associazione Meridionale Amatori Orchidee (AMAO) was founded in 2008 by a group of enthusiasts to promote orchid culture in Southern Italy and beyond, and operates mainly in Tuscany, Campania and Sicily. It also collaborates with other associations, organisations and institutions, including the botanical gardens of Naples and Palermo for their orchid collections, their cultural activities and events.

In particular, since 2019, the AMAO signed a formal agreement with the botanical garden of Palermo for the direct management of a greenhouse containing around 200 species of Orchidaceae and other epiphytes such as Bromeliaceae and Tillandsia.

The AMAO is also actively involved in the protection of European wild orchids by organising exhibitions and conferences to make them known to the public of orchid enthusiasts, both in terms of knowledge and protection, and all the good agronomic practices to preserve their habitats, for example discouraging the use of herbicides that are frequently used on roadsides and in agriculture to contain weeds.

The Dendrobium & Fuukiran Association

The Association has an International focus and thus both members and subscribers come from all over the world.
The aim is that of sharing knowledge: from growing tips to general knowledge on various species with the overall aim of raising awareness on the plant’s natural habitat and origins and the conservation of species. 

We have a series of international conferences with guests speakers and many national conferences for members that focus on cultivation issues such as water, fertilization, the basics of botanica, insects and pests etc. We have a Facebook page with over 900 members and WhatsApp group and a weekly online forum for members to share their experiences. We also have an Instagram page and a yearly magazine in which we publish various articles with articles written by both members and external contributors.  Members can also re-watch videos of conferences on specific topics that we make during the year as we have created a small video library.

Federazione Italiana Orchidee (FIO)

The Federation is born from the desire of a group of enthusiast and experienced growers to breathe new life and to act as a point of reference for the different local and national realities.
The main objective of our activities is the dissemination of the highest possible number of concepts, gleaning from both Italian and foreign sources, for that reason it’s essential to share the acquired knowledge and the exchange of opinions and experiences with growers, without any border.
The Federation also strives in its activities by setting up, in collaboration with other realities, or in complete autonomy, to organize and promote events, exposing the plants of members and / or organizing meetings and training / in-depth seminars.
In order to not only become the cornerstone, but also the unifying factor behind all Italian orchid realities, the Federation is constantly active in the research of collaborations with universities, professional experts and figures of the world of orchids, with the aim to build solid training and information bases.

Società Felsinea di Orchidofilia APS (SFO)

The Irish Orchid Society (IOS)

The Irish Orchid Society (in Gaelic: An Cumanann Magairlini na hÉireann) was founded in 2001 at the Irish National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin, where society meetings have continued to be held on 9 months each year. The Glasnevin gardens are of great historical significance to orchidophiles, for during the European era of “Orchidmania” in the mid-19th century, it held one of the finest orchid collections in the world.

The emblem of the society is the tropical orchid Neomoorea irrorata which is one of the many species named in honour of Sir Frederick Moore who was the curator of the Glasnevin gardens during its golden age and whose efforts gained for Ireland an international reputation.

The society maintains a close association with the botanic gardens which itself has an impressive commitment to orchid projects and publications.

The society endeavours to make orchid cultivation part of mainstream horticulture and to educate in aspects of orchid biology, evolution, conservation, history and even art!

Our society takes a strong interest in our native species and organises field trips to many of the unspoilt botanical havens we cherish in Ireland.

The society boasts two websites; The main website which gives a detailed description of what the society is about and the other which is an online archive of the society’s publication “Pollinia” issued two times a year.

Nederlandse Orchideeën Vereniging  (NOV)

Despite its small size, the Netherlands has a lot to offer to orchid enthusiasts. Dutch people love flowers – and orchids in particular. That’s why already in 1931 the Netherlands Orchid Society (NOV) was established. Just as everywhere else at that time, only the wealthy could afford growing orchids, but this changed in the nineteen seventies. Now, the NOV has about 1000 members; 100 of them are from Belgium.

The core of the NOV consists of eighteen regional orchid associations, spread over the country. They organise monthly or bimonthly meetings. Typically, such meetings contain a presentation on an orchid country or an orchid genus, or hands-on lessons on potting plants. Members may bring their flowering (or troublesome) plants for discussion. Often, excursions are organised to nurseries or orchid reserves.
The NOV has two national working groups, one on slipper orchids, and the other on Pleurothallids. Close links exist with two more national working groups, one on orchid reproduction, and the other on native orchids in Europe.
All NOV members receive ‘Orchideeën’, a beautiful 28-page full colour magazine, A4 format, six times a year. Moreover, the society has published several booklets on home orchid growing that are available at a reduced charge for members.
All NOV members have free access to the ‘Orchid Day’ which is organised annually, with lots of possibilities to exchange experiences, purchase orchid books or rare plants from fellow hobbyists or commercial growers.
The NOV has its own team of orchid judges who operate on demand throughout the country, particularly at orchid exhibitions of the society or of the regional orchid associations.

Norsk Orkideforening  (NOF)

The Norwegian Orchid Society (NOF), founded 1988, is affiliated to The European Orchid Council.
Our publication “Orkideer” (6 issues a year/colourprint) is a joint venture between NOF and the Danish organisation: Dansk Orkideklub.
NOF promotes interest about orchids, knowledge about how to grow them and awareness of protection of threatened species.

The members of NOF are found in all parts of the country. Even north of the Arctic Circle are people successfully growing tropical orchids!

NOF`s library contains a good selection of orchid literature. Members may borrow books and have them sent to their home address.
On a non-profit base NOF imports orchid plants for the members. NOF therefore welcomes catalogues and price lists from orchid growers all over the world.

Fundacja Polish Orchid Association

Polish Orchid Association is a newly established foundation. Our main aim is to bring together orchid enthusiast and build connections between hobbyists, scientists and institutions. We strongly believe that love for orchids do not know boundaries and both amateurs and professionals can benefit from bilateral cooperation. Education is an important aspect of our activity. Our actions cover organizing orchid shows, workshops, conferences, lectures and field trips. So far, our biggest project is the organization of International Orchid Show “Świat Storczyków – The World of Orchids” in Sopot, Poland.

Polskie Towarzystwo Miłośników Storczyków

The Polish Orchid Society brings together orchid enthusiasts from all over the country. The organization has been established on 10th March, 2003 in Łódź (Poland). Currently, there are three local groups- in Łódź, Gdańsk (Pomeranian Group) and Warsaw, respectively. Our aim is to propagate the interest and knowledge concerning orchids, their cultivation and ecology. Our actions cover regular meetings of the local groups, lectures and workshops, participation in popular science events and orchid exhibitions, both national and foreign. Since November 2005, we annually publish the newsletter “Świat Storczyków”. It contains not only the descriptions of activity of our Society, reports from exhibitions, meetings and trips, but also includes articles about genera and species of orchids and methods of their cultivation. Since 2012 the bulletin gain a new editor in chief, Prof. Dr. Dariusz L. Szlachetko, who is the eminent polish orchideologist.

Associação Portuguesa de Orquidofilia (A.P.O.)

The Portuguese Orchid Society was registered in 2007. It has (in 2012) around 500 members in Portugal and a few international members.
The members can varied from the hobbyist with a few plants in the windowsill to the big collector and also members with commercial interest.
The society has a few groups that meet monthly in Porto, Lisbon, in the Algarve and Madeira Island, which organise lectures and help the members with their plants. Country walks to photograph wild orchids are other activities organised by the several regional groups.
The Society organises two annual Orchid Exhibitions, in Porto and Lisbon and participates in other plant Exhibitions and Fairs.
A journal called LUSORQUIDEAS is published 3-4 times a year, which registers the society’s activities and publishes original texts and photos from the members.

Clube dos Orquidófilos de Portugal (C.O.P.)

The C.O.P. – Clube dos Orquidófilos de Portugal (The Orchidophiles from Portugal) was created in 2014 with the aim of being the connection of the Portuguese orchid lovers. Our purpose is to disclose the orchids not only as ornamental plants but in all aspects that they are present in the world society (history, culture, among others).
Our Club is open to all ages and organizes monthly meetings in several cities where we have members. We also give workshops, lectures and participate in plant events to help and gather orchid hobbyists around Portugal.
We have a website, blog and Facebook page to get to as many people as possible. We also publish a monthly journal with news and many information about orchids. The journal is sent by email to our members.

Associació Catalana D’amics de les Orquídies (ACAO)

ACAO is the Catalonian Association of Friends of Orchids based in Barcelona city but that includes enthusiasts from all over Catalonia and Spain. The association was formally established in 1996 but already a few years earlier, a group of friends gathered to share their common passion for orchids.

The association carried out various activities spread throughout the year such as lectures on the cultivation of various genera of orchids, workshops, transplant and start growing, field trips to witness native orchids in situ. We usually make an annual trip to an international exhibition and visits to orchids nurseries. We have also visited other exhibitions are held regularly in Valencia, Madrid and France.

Our main goal is to share a good time with other people with similar interests but also demystify some of these fascinating plants growing that, with proper care, they grow very well in our latitudes although its origin is tropical in most cases.Our native orchids are a treasure to protect and promote our Association since its care and conservation, and we offer our cooperation to the institutions involved in its preservation.

The Association is open to anyone wishing to share experiences and learn the care of these wonderful and mysterious plants.

Orquidario de Estepona

The largest orchid garden in Spain

The Orchidarium Estepona building, which is divided into two levels that are at different levels and separated by a beautiful bamboo forest, has an area of ​​1,000 square meters and a volume of 15,000 cubic metres. The visitor will enjoy visual attractions such as a lake, a waterfall of more than 15 meters and three glass domes, the tallest of which stands about 30 meters high, offering a surprising image seen from inside. The orchidarium has a collection 1 300 orchid species from all over the world

Fondation Orchidée (FO)

The “Fondation Orchidée” (FO) has been created with the proceeds from several large orchid exhibits and congresses of the Swiss Orchid Society, Groupe de Romandie.

The goals of the foundation are:
• The study and conservation of botanical species of Swiss native, as well as exotic orchids,
• The maintenance of their natural biotopes,
• The reproduction and promotion of cultivated orchid species,
• The spreading of acquired knowledge on orchids, their biotopes and cultivation.

Among the projects financially and/or technically supported during the last years are:
• Reintroduction of Cypripedium calceolus in protected habitats.
• Publication of a booklet about the conservation of native orchids in the “Arboretum d´Aubonne”, freely distributed to the elementary schools of the Canton de Vaud.
• Financial support for the restauration of a highway side slopes in Hesingue, France, with native wild orchids and educative information panel.
• Financial support of two young Latin-American botanists to study orchids at the Lankester Botanical Garden in Costa-Rica.
• The cooperation with Rudolf Jenny to upgrade (by reprogramming the access software) and transfer” “Bibliorchidea”, his huge database of literature about orchids, from the old obsolete Web site of the Swiss Orchid Foundation (SOF) to a new Web site managed by Rudolf directly. This task included a state-of-the-art link to the World Orchid Iconography (WOI), should the SOF decide to maintain this database of illustrations and photographs.
• Following Rudolf Jenny’s sudden death on August 2021 the FO and Rudolph’s family collaborate to ensure the “BibliOrchidea” database remains online and freely accessible to users.

Schweizerische Orchideen-Gesellsaft  (SOG)

Originally the Swiss orchid enthusiasts have been organised within the German Orchid Society, only on 15th February 1957 an own group was formed in Zurich. This group was the core of the later founded Swiss Orchid Society. Between 1965 and 2006 regional societies in all 3 language-parts of Switzerland were founded, today the roof-organisation includes 10 regional societies.

The SOG is promoting all areas of orchideology, especially information about cultivation and propagation, and distributes the knowledge about the protection of indigenous orchids in their natural habitats in Switzerland. The SOG also cultivates international contacts with other organisations with the same targets. The SOG is financed by the membership fees and by a fixed share from the deficit-guarantees for exhibitions of its regional societies. Beside this the SOG also owns an internationally recognized judging organisation. The SOG is member of the European Orchid Council (EOC) and takes part in the activities of the EOC as far as possible. The SOG was organising two European Orchid Conferences 1979 in Zurich and 1997 in Geneva, and is helping each year one of its regional societies to organize an international show. The Society has some 600 members and is publishing an own journal in 3 languages, and it maintains an own library and website.

Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz

The Swiss Orchid Foundation was established in 2001 to maintain and curate the legacy of Dr. Jany Renz, specifically his herbarium and library.

The aims of the Foundation are to make his collections available to a worldwide com­munity on a virtual platform and to establish an active centre of orchid research. In particular, it intends to support scientific projects to improve knowledge of orchids, their affinity, morphology, distribution, phylogeny, and conservation.
Likewise, an orchid identification centre has been established, dealing also with questions from the interested layman.

With approximately 25,000 species, orchids comprise almost ten percent of the flowering plant diversity of Earth. Orchids are a flagship group for plant conservation, both in Switzerland and worldwide. One of the aims of the Foundation is to provide quality information to actively assist orchid and plant conservation in Switzerland and abroad.

The website of the Foundation is the public entrance to the digital archive. Besides informative texts about the foundation and Dr. Jany Renz it allows access to the 26,000 orchid herbarium specimens of Renz, the Botanical Institute, the “Basler Botanische Gesellschaft” and of Bernoulli and Cario. The Foundation is aiming to make a comprehensive world orchid iconography available with the addition of approximately 5,000 hand-coloured orchid drawings from the Renz library and photographs of orchids by specialists from all over the world. Currently the World Orchid Iconography consists of approximately 90’000 images of about 12’000 orchid species. The “BibliOrchidea”, a comprehensive worldwide database on orchid literature compiled by Rudolf Jenny, is also freely available on the website.

The British Orchid Council

The British Orchid Council aims to bring together amateur societies, commercial growers, and the scientific community with the common goal of promoting orchid growing in the UK.

Membership currently comprises the British Orchid Societies, the National Botanic Gardens with significant orchid collections at Kew and Glasgow, the Eric Young Foundation in Jersey, the Mathers Foundation, and the Royal Horticultural Society with its major collection at Wisley.

We are a registered charity with the main objective to promote and broaden the knowledge of orchids and encourage their culture. We hold British Orchid Congresses in different parts of the country and organise a training programme for internationally recognised show judges.

The Hardy Orchid Society (HOS)

The Hardy Orchid Society shares an interest in the wild, native orchids of Britain and the rest of Europe, as well as those from similar temperate climates throughout the world. HOS is a valuable society for anyone with an interest in wild orchids and a must for orchid enthusiasts. Activities include: Regular meetings, Quarterly journal, Visits to orchid sites, cultivated orchid plants and seeds, Practical workshops, Plant shows and exhibitions, Photography competitions, Web-based discussion forum, Practical conservation of wild orchids and Contributions to orchid research.

The website has useful information on the UK orchid flora with comprehensive photographic galleries and data pages on individual species.

The Orchid Society of Great Britain (OSGB)

The OSGB was founded in 1951 and is a charity with a worldwide membership. With around 1000 members the aim is to promote all aspects of Orchid Growing, horticultural and conservation interest being high on the agenda.

The Society holds a monthly meeting in London with lectures, a plant competition and demonstrations for members. Society shows are held in Spring and Autumn and displays are organised at other orchid events both in the UK and overseas. The main UK displays are at the London Orchid Show held every March in the RHS Halls in Vincent Square and at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show held in May. The Society has a large library available to for members.

There is an arm of the OSGB which has as its aim, conservation and preservation of old hybrids and species – The Barbara Everard Trust for Orchid Conservation – which assists growers to conserve plants, especially in National Collections.

The Society publishes a quarterly Journal with articles and photos in glorious colour. There is more information including subscription details, on the web site.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place. This vision underpins all that we do – from inspirational gardens and shows, through our scientific research, to our education and community programmes. We are committed to inspiring everyone to grow. We share our knowledge through books, websites, podcasts and magazines, hold world-class collections of horticultural books and botanical art
Objectives :
1. Be known, loved and trusted as the charity for all gardeners
2. Safeguard and advance the science, art and practice of horticulture for the benefit of future generations and the environment
3. Transform communities through gardening
4. Create world-leading horticulture that inspires people to garden
5. Nurture and grow our membership throughout the UK
6. Provide a voice for all gardeners, sharing and building expert knowledge
7. Delight our customers with exceptional service and products
8. Be a great place to work where everyone makes a difference
9. Have efficient business practices that deliver maximum income for our charitable purpose
10. Make horticulture a career to be proud of.