Brandon Tam

As the Associate Curator of the Orchid Collection, Brandon curates one of the largest and most diverse orchid species collections in the world, including over 1,500 unique species and 3,600 different varieties across 280 orchid genera. He oversees day-to-day horticultural operations, including acquisitions, propagation, conservation, and supervision of over 40 orchid volunteers. Under Brandon's stewardship, The Huntington has won over 100 awards from the American Orchid Society, including six First Class Certificates and four Certificates of Cultural Excellence. He supervises numerous public education events, such as orchid shows, judgings, symposiums and conferences. Additionally, Brandon co-curates the Amorphophallus titanum collection of 43 mature specimens and has exhibited over seventeen blooming specimens.

Brandon started as the Orchid Collection Specialist at The Huntington at age 16 while concurrently earning his bachelor's degree in plant science from California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, which he completed in 2015.

Brandon holds accreditation as a judge from the American Orchid Society and has a history of active involvement, having previously served on the society's conservation committee and as a trustee. He currently holds positions on the Board of Directors and the editorial committee for Orchid Digest Publication.

Brandon is a frequent contributing author to the American Orchid Society, Orchid Digest, and Cymbidium Society of America, and has presented with over 50 national and international orchid organizations.

Publications, Research, Presentations, and Workshops

Tam, Brandon. Cymbidium Species Collection at The Huntington. Orchid Digest, vol. 85, no. 4, Oct. 2021, pp. 265–71.

Tam, Brandon. Blooming at The Huntington. Orchid Digest, vol. 85, no. 4, Oct. 2021, pp. 297–302.

Tam, Brandon. Blooming at The Huntington. Orchid Digest, vol. 85, no. 3, July 2021, pp. 184–91.

Tam, Brandon. Blooming at The Huntington. Orchid Digest, vol. 85, no. 2, Apr. 2021, pp. 86–90.

Tam, Brandon. Blooming at The Huntington. Orchid Digest, vol. 85, no. 1, Jan. 2021, pp. 10–11.

Hermans, Johan, Clare Hermans, Jean Linsky, Chia-Wei Li, Brandon Tam, et al. Huntington Botanical Gardens. World Orchid Collections 2020, Tainan City, Taiwan, Taiwan Orchid Growers Association (TOGA), 2020, pp. 71–80.

Tam, Brandon. Paphiopedilum Culture at The Huntington Botanical Gardens. Orchid Digest, vol. 82, no. 4, Oct. 2018, pp. 236–43.

Orchid Collection, VERSO, the Blog of The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, Jan. 2012–July 2013.