FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — A family-owned business in Fort Pierce has been growing orchids in the same spot for 65 years, and the couple behind it is still very much hands-on.
Odom’s Orchids Inc is owned and operated by John Odom, 79, and his wife Louise, 83. Together, they run one of the largest orchid operations in the United States, shipping plants to customers nationwide.
What began as a single orchid gift more than six decades ago has grown into an operation producing hundreds of thousands of plants.
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Inside more than 200,000 square feet of greenhouses, hundreds of thousands of orchids are grown at different stages of life. But the Odoms don’t just grow orchids, they breed them, creating dozens of new hybrids every year.
The breeding process is slow and highly detailed. Orchid seeds are so fine that they resemble dust and must begin growing in a laboratory before young plants are transferred to trays and larger pots over several years. From seed to bloom, the process can take up to seven years.
Because of that long timeline, patience is a must.
“There’s a saying, be careful what you wish for. I’ve always wanted orchids around me and here we are,” Louise Odom said.
John Odom joked that she now has more orchids than she knows what to do with, but Louise quickly pushed back, saying, “One orchid is never enough. How many is enough? We haven’t decided yet.”
The couple says orchids don’t really have a lifespan and can live indefinitely with proper care. Some of the plants growing at their Fort Pierce facility have been around for decades, including one orchid John Odom says he’s had since he first got married.
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After 65 years in business, the Odoms say their orchids and the legacy they’ve built are still growing strong in Fort Pierce.
