Orchids Are Perfect For Cemeteries

Reply to: We Need More Orchid Celebrities

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arthurm, at least here in Southern California...when you go to a botanical garden...it's extremely rare to see orchids on trees. Most of the orchids can be seen growing in the display greenhouses. So I think it's largely a matter of people not knowing that so many orchids can be grown on trees here. If they were aware of this fact then I'm pretty sure there would be a big boost in orchid sales.

That's a really great idea to tie some keikis to the trees at the golf course! The higher up you attach them the less likely it is that somebody will swipe them. But wouldn't you be surprised to see somebody standing on top of a golf cart trying to grab some orchids!

Over in Miami, an orchid enthusiast attached some orchids on the trees in his local dog park...and I think they are still there.

The most likely location near my house is a cemetery. I suppose I could attach some orchids on the trees there. But then I'd have to visit several times a week to water them during summer. It's not like they don't water enough...it's just that they don't water high enough. But maybe a few trees get hit pretty high up with sprinklers.

Hmmm...actually...what if I set up a drip watering system with a big water bottle suspended from a branch?? I wonder what the slowest drip rate could be for a Laelia anceps during a typical summer day? I should experiment to find out.

A cemetery is a perfect place for orchids though...in the sense that the prime real estate is all taken. That's why epiphytes are epiphytes in the first place!

Yeah, you're right that you can't show your orchid at your society meeting if it's attached to a tree! Well...you can if it's a miniature orchid attached to a potted tree. In the future every bonsai will have at least one epiphyte attached to it. Epiphytes add plenty of interest and value to bonsais!

Here's CB's photos sorted by popularity.

Another awesome orchid photographer...orchid dude.

Growing Plants Epiphytically - General Overview

The following overview of growing plants epiphytically is a combination of the following posts of mine...

An Orchid on Every Tree
Epiphyte Grand Prix
Mounting Mediums
CAM Orchids

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Plant selection...the more frequently you're willing to water, the greater the variety of plants that you can grow on your tree. The less frequently you water, the more storage/succulence a plant must have to thrive on your tree. Lately I've taken to fondling leaves to gauge stiffness/succulence. How quickly a plant wilts is also a pretty good indicator of how it might do on a tree.  But don't be afraid to experiment!

Epiphytes are naturally a good choice to start with but they range from plants with absolutely no storage capacity to plants that can go weeks without water. Some examples of drought tolerant epiphytes include CAM orchids and many atmospheric Tillandsias. Cliff dwellers and terrestrial succulents are also great candidates.