Inspiring and educating San Francisco South Bay and Peninsula plant enthusiasts since 1963

Our Founders’ family has shared with us that our 2024 awardee is the only plant-a-holic in the family! None of them, parents nor siblings, share a passion and skill with plants. One states that she has a “Black Thumb” as opposed to our awardee’s “Green Thumb”.

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Katie was born overseas in a region of rivers and caves. Due to the changing winds of politics, her family moved a number of times throughout Asia. In the 1960’s, Katie came to the eastern US and earned degrees in History and later in Business Administration. In the late 1970’s, Katie moved to California.

Working in a retail floral shop, a business that services plants in business offices, is one of the careers that Katie has pursued. Current interests in the medicinal and healthful benefits of plants finds Katie educating the public as well as propagating and selling unusual/medicinal plants at Prusch Park plant sales as well as from her home. A friend shares that it is like going to a “candy store” to see the variety and rarity of plants she has; there are plants “on the ceiling, on the floor and in every nook and corner”!

Katie is well-known in many plant circles; in addition to her involvement in the Western Horticultural Society, Katie has served as an officer and editor for The California Rare Fruit Growers, has been active in the Orchid Society and the Santa Clara County Master Gardeners. Katie is known to attend Bonsai events as well! One of Katie’s colleagues describes her as “super-friendly, unassuming and very generous with her plants and knowledge”.

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The Western Horticultural Society has been the beneficiary of this awardee’s generosity not only in the sharing of her plants and knowledge but in serving on the board for over 10 years from 2008-2019, volunteering to help at the SFFGS, co-organizing the plant discussion at our general meetings, sharing tastings from her extensive plant collection, organizing speaker dinners, and our WHS holiday dinners are more memorable for her volunteering to roast a moist and succulent turkey as a centerpiece of the potluck. In May of 2015 Katie spoke to our membership with a talk titled Upgrade Your Garden – Download Rare Fruits.

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Katie is someone you can depend upon! At a past holiday potluck, we were awaiting the arrival of the turkey when Katie finally rushed in with the centerpiece. It was learned that a large semi had changed lanes and not seen her little Prius. There were circular whorls in the door where the “spikes” of the truck’s wheel had gouged the driver side door. How she had the presence of mind to get any information and get back into the car and drive again to deliver the turkey is a testament to her determination! When not nurturing her extensive and “all favorite” plant collection, Katie likes to play Mahjong and spend time with her husband, friends and family.

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I am so pleased to award the 2024 Western Horticultural Society Founders’ Award to Katie Wong.

— Judy Wong, Dec. 2024