Epiphyllum Society of America

ESA FOUNDERS' AWARD

Established in 2005 in conjunction with the ESA's 65th anniversary celebration. This annual award is presented at the End-of Year meeting in December. The purpose is to recognize individuals, hybridizers, nurseries, garden societies, writers and those who make a difference through their service and contributions regarding epiphyllum hybrids and/or species epiphytic cacti. The intent is to honor those whose accomplishments have influenced the epiphyllum world both nationally and internationally. 

2005

Richard Chadwick - Hybridizer.
Phyllis Flechsig - Hybridizer famous for "Clown" "Three Oranges" "Flechsig's Flame" and others.
George French - Prolific hybridizer.
Gray/Davis Nursery - Has, over the years, donated to the ESA many hundreds of cuttings.
Grimshaw's Epi Time Nursery.
Haage Nursery - Oldest Cactus Nursery in Europe.
Edward Jagieski - Hybridizer, and is accepting the Award for the Beahm Nursery
Dr. Myron Kimnach - Epicactus expert, writer of Species section for the ESA Registry and Director Emeritus of the Huntington Gardens.
Dr. R.W. Kohlschreiber - Chair ESA Research Committee, ESA Directory Registrar, Founder of the South Bay Epiphyllum Society.
Helmut Paetzold - prolific hybridizer of the "Paetz" series 
Rainbow Gardens - Has, over the years, donated to the ESA many hundreds of cuttings.

2006
Wressy Cocke – Hybridizer known for many top cultivars including the famous "50s cross" and produced many of the finest small hybrids.
Hurst Nursery - Has, over the years, donated to the ESA many hundreds of cuttings.
California Epi Center - operated by Bob and Lois Burke. Benefactors of the ESA

2007
Bob & Betty Berg – Betty was Historian, and Membership Secretary; a position she held for 12 years. Bob was Membership Secretary, past President, Bulletin Editor including the wonderful and informative special ESA 50th Anniversary Edition of the Bulletin and a hybridizer.
Velma Featherstone – Past ESA President, past ESA Bulletin Editor; having the 2 nd longest tenure as Editor at the time, Hybridizer and Registrant for a number of Hybridizers including all of Ernest Schwemmer’s originations. 
Eckhard Meier – German Hybridizer, co-founded the German Epiphyllum Societies, copious writer of epicactus articles, having had published not less than 172.

2008
San Diego Epiphyllum Society.

2009
Galen Pittman – Hybridizer, Registrant, ESA President, Show Chair, Source of epi information. Galen’s ability to Identify an epi (and in most cases) parentage on sight was truly amazing. 
Evelyn Shiraki & Darryl Miyamoto – Hybridizers; their registered cultivars are legendary; always in great demand and often winning top awards. Evelyn and Darryl are very generous benefactors to the Society.

2010
Dr. Ralf Bauer - Known for his knowledge of the epiphytic cactus species. Written numerous articles on epiphytic cacti and was responsible for most of the technical descriptions for the epiphytic cactus species in “The New Cactus Lexicon”. Ralf has gone on several plant expeditions to Latin America and on a trip to Colombia he found a new Epiphyllum that Dr. Rudi Dorsch described in “Haseltonia” in 2003 and named it Epiphyllum baueri in honor of Dr. Bauer.
Edmund Beardsley – Hybridizer, past ESA President. Instrumental in the establishment of the Pentico Collection and the epi display at the Arboretum. Curator of the collection for many years.

2011
Dr. Rudi Dorsch – Epiphytic Cactus Expert, Collector and Lecturer. Has taken field trips searching for new & unknown species. Is also a Medical Doctor.
Keith & Pat Ballard - Longtime volunteers and ESA Board members. Pat served as Membership Secretary & Treasurer for many years. Keith is a past Vice President & past President, past Annual Show Chair and the current ESA Bulletin Editor.

2012
Prof. Dr. Johen Bockemuehl – Hybridizer, has been the Director of the German speaking epi society EPIG for 25 years.

2013
Vera Ward – Hybridizer, one of the founders of the SFES, an officer of the SFES since the start. She volunteers for both the Society and for Strybing Arboretum, (the San Francisco location where the Society meets) both as a docent and as head of the epi department in the nursery section of the Arboretum. Behind her able leadership, the Arboretum has established quite an extensive collection of epicactus hybrids, schlumbergera, and epiphyllum species for propagation and for sale.
Mike Davis - Hybridizer, President of SFES. His shade house is a work of art, as are his front and back gardens. Has been collecting epies for 20 years, and now has around 400. But his gardens are not limited to epi hybrids, also having Schlumbergers, Cymbidiums, Bonsal, Begonias.

2014
Rudolf Hessing – Hybridizer and grower since the age of 17. Specializing in hybridizing small-flowered plants with the goal of flowers year-round. Regular lecturer at the biennial EpiCon.

2015
Don Patterson – Hybridizer

2016
Derek Obayashi – Hybridizer

2017
Jerry Moreau - Curator, Epiphyllum Collection at San Diego's Safari Park. Board member, San Diego Epiphyllum Society and Epiphyllum Society of America. Flower show judge

2018
EPIG (Interessengemeinschaft Epiphytische Kakteen)

2019
San Francisco Epiphyllum Society

2020
Robert Kuettle-Past President, hybridizer. 

2021
Tony Hansen-hybridizer. 

2022
Mark Piette, ESA member for over 70 years. Former ESA Board member, proprietor of Epi Galleria, hybridizer. 

2023
Eddie Huey, Administrator of EpiForums, ESA Registrar and ESA Board member.

Alice Buchanan Award History

The Award is given to those who have performed outstanding service to the Epiphyllum Society of America through contributing to the Society’s welfare or advancing its ideals and objectives. The Board did not mandate that the Alice Buchanan Award be given annually, but at the sole discretion of the ESA President.
Any ESA member may nominate someone for the Award at any time during the year. Nominations must be in writing and sent to the ESA President. The President can then select a recipient from the nominees; nominate someone of her or his own choosing; or not give the Award at all that year. (In the event that there is no President orActing President, the Board shall have sole authority for the selection)
There is a tradition of surprising the recipient with the honor at the annual Holiday dinner, which is why nominations are not revealed in advance. In fact, at present, the President is not required to inform even the Board of Directors who has been nominated, nor who has been selected, presumably because the recipient may be a Board Member.
The award history is as follows:

1982 – Ethel and Buddy Hurst
1983 – I.J. and Ethel Hughes
1984 –Velm Featherstone
1985 – Ken Bone
1986 – (not awarded)
1987 – Betty and Bob Berg
1988 – Charles and Eulah Hardy
1989 – R.0 Lassiter
1990 – Noel and Russell Bumdah
1991 – Tina Forgrave
1992 – (not awarded)
1993 – (not awarded)
1994 – Dr. R.W. Kohlschreiber
1995 – (not accepted)
1996 – William Andre
1997 – Edmund Beardsley
1998 – Donald E. Clinton
1999 – Jean Gray & Michele Davis
2000 – Galen Pittman
2001 – Raymond R. Eden Jr.
2002 – Peggy Oberg
2003 – Ed Imlay
2004 – Pat Ballard
2005 – L.A. County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
2006 – June Hughes
2007 – Keith Ballard
2008 – Loretta Garcia
2009 – Gail Grassi
2010 – Jim Nones
2011 – Ken Hanke
2012 – Fred Stegner
2013 – Mary Beardsley
2014 – Robert Kuettle
2015 – Marrie Caldiero
2016 – Geneva Coats
2017 – Kathy Stiebel & Marie Schmidt
2018 – Ann Marie Rametta