WAIMEA — Growing orchids can be a delicate matter.
“Some orchids are only in bloom for two weeks, and each have their own special needs,” Matthias Seelis said, a cattleya orchid specialist.
In October, his patience paid off when he won the annual Merritt W. Huntington Award from the American Orchid Society (AOS) for white cattleya — also known as the “queen of the orchids” — cultivated in his greenhouse.
“It’s a big honor to grow the most outstanding orchid in the country,” he said. “I was super happy to win the all-star award.”
Based in Hawaiian Acres, Seelis owns Shogun Hawaii — a 6-acre farm where cattleya, angraecum, dendrobium and phalaenopsis orchids grow plentifully among his six greenhouses. This month marks his 12th year in business.
“White cattleya are my favorite orchid of all,” he said. “They are just so elegant, and whenever they bloom they take my breath away with their sheer beauty.”
AOS has more than 30 judging centers across the U.S., including three in Hawaii: one in Hilo, another on Maui and two in Honolulu.
“In Hilo you can bring your plant in for judging every second Saturday of the month,” Seelis said. “It has to be in pristine condition with no spots or bruises, and most flowers need to be open. This makes it very difficult to get an award, as the plant has to be flowering exactly at that time. Considering that a cattleya only blooms once a year for 14 to 21 days, this can be a major challenge.”
In order to qualify for the Merritt W. Huntington Award, contestants must have a FCC (First Class Certificate) on one of their plants and an ideal photo of the entry. Only the top plants will be considered for the annual award.
“The judging center decides from all FCCs given in the calendar year and select the one they think has the best shot at winning the category,” Seelis explained. “The most difficult challenge in Hawaii is the get a white cattleya ‘judging ready’ since they only bloom a limited time and are usually very prone to botrytis. Here humidity is very high and that keeps the fungus rampant. Any spot on the blooms and it cannot be judged. Not enough flowers open, they reject it.”
People come from around the island to see Seelis’ newest seasonal selections weekly, sold exclusively at Kamuela Farmers Market in Waimea or by phone. His cattleya orchids come in vivid colors ranging from fuchsia, yellow, velvety red and multicolor to snow white. Each variety has a unique name, such as Volcano Star, Golden Super, Little Phoenix, Full Moon, First Love, Hawaiian Wish and Victory, to name a few.
Seelis sells thousands of orchid, ti leaf and zingiber — commonly called the beehive ginger — plants each year.
“My best-sellers by far are the phalaenopsis orchids and cattleya,” Seelis said.
His customers range from those who purchase flowers to decorate their homes to avid gardeners and collectors.
“The shoppers are knowledgeable about quality plants and understand the patience it can take to grow them,” Seelis said. “It takes six years from making a cross in the lab to a blooming flower.”
His soft German accent can often be heard carefully explaining the best way to care for a specific variety, or in response to compliments he receives regularly.
“Matthias Seelis is a professional with an eye for color and texture,” Waimea resident Kathleen Thoene said. “The flowers he brings to our farmers market are always unusual, spectacular and of the highest quality. We are so lucky to have a man of his talent bringing us elegant creations each week. He is passionate about his work and it shows.”
The first orchids Seelis ever grew were heliconia xanthovillosa, also known as “shogun.”
“It is a pendant, bright yellow, fuzzy heliconia from South America, which is difficult to grow but one of the most unusual looking by far,” he said. “The name – shogun – refers to the ultimate survivor/fighter, and that is where my company name came from.”
He started his orchid business after running his own macaw and African gray breeding farm in Burbank, California.
“I had a friend breeding macaws in Orchidland. Once I sold my property in Burbank and all the birds and possessions, I went to visit my bird friend and never left the Big Island after that,” Seelis recalled.
His passion for growing plants started at a young age.
“I have this in my genes,” Seelis said. “I started growing them when I was 10 years old in my basement.”
Many years later, orchids are his biggest draw, attracting collectors.
“They are orchid-lovers who want to ultimately plant them,” Seelis said.
One of these loyal customers, Michael Foley, drives to Waimea from Hawi almost every Saturday to see the latest blooms.
“There’s a big group of us who are crazy about his orchids. I’ve learned so much from him,” he said. “I tend to like the woodsy, shy orchids. Almost every room in my house has orchids from Matthias. He sells strong plants that produce again.”
In September, Seelis added another big attraction to his booth: single, double and lip lei handmade only from flowers grown in the Big Island.
“I have many visitors who appreciate the cut flowers I sell. I saw them buying lei from the store that are grown in Thailand, so I asked Elisa Mom to grow them for me to sell so we could offer a real Hawaiian lei,” Seelis said. “She uses dendrobium orchids to make them.”
Seelis can be found at Kamuela Farmers Market each Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Info: Call Shogun Hawaii at 443-8533 or go to www.ShoGunHawaii.com
