We call up that flora want dirt to grow … But it is n’t always true ! Some , called epiphytes , literally spring up on trees , draw close on their branches , and they send their aerial roots down to bung from humid air . And seeing their blossoms open with their bright colors among the foliation above your head is an experience you will never forget !
Many epiphytic plants are tropic and alien as well , and maybe the best known are orchid species , including the popularPhalaenopsis , but some even view mistletoe to be an epiphyte … The fact is that they bring bloom high up into your tree , add that rainforest look to your mansion . Indeed , many epiphytic works that raise on trees can also flourish as houseplants , and they do so with manner !
So , if you desire some blossom to blossom on the branches of the Tree in your garden , or in your indoor blank space beak one of the epiphytic plant varieties that I have in store for you !
@gardenvivis
14Types of Epiphytic Plants to Grow as Houseplants
And the Tree in your garden will never look the same if you choose one of these super cosmetic epiphytic plants to grow among their branch !
For certain you already know the first epiphytic motley we would like you to meet , but perhaps you think it was just a houseplant ? No , you may turn it outdoors on trees as well !
Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis spp.)
And we could only start with the most loved epiphyte in the whole world : moth orchid ! Native to Southeast Asia , the Philippines and Australia , this genus has about 70 mintage , so you may really take your pick , because they are all epiphyte or lithophyte ( they grow on rock and roll , a few ) .
And of trend , they feed famous for their impressive blooms , which last , changeless , like immortal and passive miracles of Nature for months , in small clustering on long and sturdy stems . noted for looking like butterflies , with fleshy and artistic petals , the alter one in the center , the labellum ( or “ lip ” ) is distinctively minor , fly and usually of a different colour from the others … Talking about shades …
Orchids are mass meeting Edgar Lee Masters of tonalities , and you could get them all , apart from aristocratic ( you could with other genera ) . So , take your pick !
@gardenvivis
White , yellow , orange , pink , red , green , purple and even black are all potential in the super showy ( sometimes fragrant ) flower that you will see possible action above your heading among the branches of your Tree .
Their evergreen plant folio are a sweetheart to lay eyes on as well , leathery , ellipse and sometimes arching , very shining and bright to dark green ! And why not , even the aerial roots of these perennial are attractive ! descend from the leafy crown , they look like lianas from a rain timberland !
Of course , you will need to exist in a hot and humid country to bask any of the many moth orchid species ( and even mote cultivars ) blossoming on the arm of your Tree . But if you are so favourable , there is no betterplant to give you the full on alien and tropical experience !
Air Plant (Tillandsia spp.)
We call them aviation plants because they literally feed on air , and they are all the 650 mintage ( and many cultivar ) of theTillandsiagenus . They are actually member of the family of bromeliads ( Bromeliaceae ) and they are really all epiphytes !
Native to the Americas , they have found excellent “ raising ground ” in rain timber as well hatful and deserts , so there are varieties for many grow conditions ! And there are even some aerophytes , which think that they have a minimum ancestor system and they live on devious dune … Small and elegant , these plants are famous for their colors …
These are not the actual flower , which you will see in tone of reddish blue and blue , mostly tubular , but in some cases open to three elliptical petals , and sometimes with yellow … No , there is more … The fleshy modified leaves ( bract ) that frame the real floral video display are of the most awesome shades of red , pink , magenta , fuchsia … And of many originative shapes as well !
So , Tillandsia xerographicacreates a plume of scarlet and straw , while pinkish quill ( Tillandsia cyanea ) has that strange human body like the tail of a beaver fur , with scales and of course , in romantic tonalities . The evergreen leaves are long , usually blade like but sometimes cylindric , straight arching or even twisting , and they can be in a range of cat valium , often with a silver sheen .
Air plants are really the easiest epiphytes to fix on trees , and not only , as wall , big shell , even a lamp place will do ! you’re able to literally stick them with some waterproof plant safe glue to a stain and they will thrive and flower freely !
Elkhorn Fern (Platyceriumbiforcatum)
Ok , you wo n’t get any bloom with elkhorn fern , but you will still get an amazing impression , like living in a rain forest , with an exotic and very outstandingly looking tropic aerophyte ! aboriginal to Java , New Guinea and Australia , this leafy beauty is quite special indeed … It has very smooth foliage , and of two types …
There are non fertile leaf – actually , fronds- which are artistically heart regulate and very cosmetic indeed .
These are between 5 and 18 inches recollective ( 12.5 to 45 cm ) . But unluckily , it is the uninspired unity that steal the show … They can reach an impressive 36 inches in length ( 90 cm ) ! And they arch attractively , with brilliant green and gray as their colors … But the master asset of this evergreen foliage is that fork and shoulder strap shaped , and they do look like the car horn of an Cervus elaphus canadensis !
Common as a houseplant , you’re able to spring up it on trees outside in sheltered location , and it has won the prestigious Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society . If you want an even bolder variety , its sisterPlatyceriumelephantotishas really broad , fluttering and venose leaf that search like elephant ’s ears !
search up at elkhorn fern draping the branch of suspect trees is like being transported into a corner of an exotic and tropic rain forest , and teletransported back in time into the macrocosm of Nineteenth Century explorers ! Really a great asset for your garden .
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera spp.)
Christmas cactus is a democratic houseplant , because it blossoms through wintertime and during the festive season it lead its name from . But this aboriginal succulent from South American pelting woods will feel an ideal home ground among the branches of your trees if you live in a hot country . Yes , because this stunner too is aepiphyte !
Actually , it is technically also a lithophytic plant ( it grows on sway ) , but it will evenly savor a “ Natalie Wood house ” and call it home . Loved for its very generous and bright blossom , that appear at the final stage of the stems , it is also very easy to pass around .
Its flowered display will hang up on the segmented and lightly teethed arching and cloak ramification , which makes it ideal for lieu high up , above your head , or at centre level … The range of colors that the blossoms display is on the whitened to violet cline , with strong and vibrant pinko , fuchsia , magenta and red included .
@gardenvivis
There are bicolor varieties as well , among its nine species and many cultivar and hybrids . Light and graceful , it mixes the optic catching flower with many wrangle of pointed petal with the cryptic green of the foliage - alike petty branches .
For a splash of energetic colouration on the branches of your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in winter , Christmas cactus is an ideal small and light clothe plant , but remember that it needs regular watering , because , occur from forested areas , it is not as drought liberal as other succulents .
Cattleya Orchid (Cattleya spp.)
If you really want to go deluxe and passing exotic , the orchids of the genusCattleyare invincible , and they too are epiphytic … In fact , they have adapted to grow on the leg and trunks of rainforest Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree of South America , which is their ideal humid home ground .
While their moth sisters are more popular with amateurs , cattleyas are by far the tropical queens of greenhouses and botanic garden . And this may be due to their big flowers ( up to 9 inches across , or 22.5 curium ! ) which have all the people of colour of the rainbow in very vivacious shades and originative compounding …
They also come in little racemes on upright stem … Or maybe it is because they have five frilly petals that draw up the key one , the labellum , and this is surprisingly cosmetic , elongated and chess opening to a large lip , often in a different nicety from the others ?
Perhaps , the fleshy , oval and glossy emerald green leaves wager a role in this ? Or it may be that the pseudobulbs they have at the base add yet another asset to these plants ? For sure , with more than 120 species and innumerable cultivars , you have a really wide choice for your garden !
Yes , do grow a cattleya ( or more ) on the Tree of your garden if you may give it , but do keep it at about eye degree , or just above , because they are so beautiful and showy that they do deserve a prominent spot .
Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides)
Spanish moss is in reality a species ofTillandsia , but it is the odd one out in the genus . And in fact you will be severely put to recognize it as an air works . Native to the south of the USA , Central and South America , this epiphyte has a look of its own , almost spooky , something that would calculate great at Halloween parties …
In fact , it cling to branches and then it station down a mesh , like a fishing web , or a cobweb of dense whitish “ threads ” or “ filament ” that form a pall that can hit 20 feet long ( 6.0 beat ) .
These are actually very o.k. stems that interweave and tangle , while the leaves are scaly and curly , about 0.8 to 2.4 inches long ( 2.0 to 6.0 cm ) . While you may think that these are aerial roots , they are not , and in fact , this epiphyte has no radical system at all : it need all its food from these unusual “ hair ” , which give it the nickname “ grandpa ’s face fungus ” …
It is a flowering plant , but the petty blossoms are inconspicuous and they can be green , yellow or even , outstandingly , gray … But they are pretty if you face at them closely , with three waxy flower petal and a tiny orange dot in the nerve centre , spread like drop on a lacing humeral veil .
The best tree diagram to grow Spanish moss on are oak ( Quercus ) and bald-pated cypress ( Taxodium distichum ) , but you may make do with other species if you do n’t have one , and it is certainly the best epiphytic mixed bag for a very strange , even ghostly effect , but always with an exotic and tropical twist .
Queen of the Night (Epiphyllum oxypetalum)
A lunar smasher from Central and South America , tabby of the night is a spineless cactus potpourri with amazing cosmetic value , but it is quite easy to grow . As its binomial name paint a picture ( Epiphyllum oxypetalum ) it is an epiphyte and also a litophyte , and it is a popular houseplant , but it likes the open air , and it enjoys sending its prospicient , succulent and trailing stems down from the branches of trees , where you’re able to bask their glossy emerald greenish color and rippled edges …
And , when spring number to a finale , it will also blossom … And it will do it with a bang ! Yes , because its flowers are vast , up to 8 inches wide , snowfall ashen and very long as well !
They are actually funnel shaped , but they open to a cupped backtalk with three words of pointed petals , like short brand , and they are punt by long , almost needle like “ rays ” that form a star around them , and these can keep a pink to purplish color … Finally , these are very , very fragrant and , true to its reputation , they open at night and they close during the Clarence Day .
A real star of the epiphytic world , queen of the Nox is a super showy cactus to give your garden a flamboyant but elegant , exotic but sassy and bright look . Of of course , unlike many other epiphytes , it is also drought kind !
Vriesea (Vriesea spp.)
aboriginal to Central and South America , vriesea is a large genus with about 150 species , and most of them ( not all ) , are epiphytic plant and they raise on the branches of trees in humid tropical and subtropical area . A closemouthed relative of bromeliads ( it is actually one of them ) and tillandsias , it is also a pop houseplant , but with its own peculiarities .
In fact , they will bear their blooms on upright stems , not close to the rest of the foliage , and they company them with awesome waxy bracts that usually form a flattened rattlesnake tail contour . However .
Some can take different embodiments , like feather , for good example . These are of the bright colors ever , with red , even pure scarlet , golden scandalmongering , fluxing lime , orangish , pinkish , uprise and even lavender ! These farseeing displays can last for up to three whole calendar month !
However , then your plant will die . The actual bloom hide between these scaly bract till they spread , and they can be tubular or have spread out petal , normally yellowed , violet , imperial or even puritanical ! Then , the source will fly away with feathery extension , a bit like dandelions do !
The succulent leaves form a decorative rosette at the base , and they are very showy , normally emerald green , but there are variegated motley too ! And they can be oval and broad , or sometimes narrow and pointed , like grass blade .
pocket-sized and fairly easy to care for , vriesea can be a very colorful front among the arm of your trees ; but , despite being a succulent , it will call for veritable and generous lacrimation . Having said this , it has a quirky and exotic personality that can really rustle any garden .
Dendrobium Orchid (Dendrobium spp.)
Also sometimes called bamboo orchidaceous plant , Dendrobiumis a immense genus from Southeast Asia and some peaceable islands , and most of the 1,800 species ( ! ! ! ) are epiphytic and litophytic variety . They let in some that farm such massive racemes that they really take your breath away !
Others have few blossoms on their stems , but they are always extremely showy , and a wonder to have in any garden ! Like all the phallus of this groovy family , they are distinctive because one petal , the labellum is different in form ( and ordinarily in colouration ) from all the others … And in this eccentric , it is is usually egg shaped , often fill , and it extends ahead , but not as much as in a cattleya .
In some species , it can be extremely broad and polish up as well . The chain of shade is , as you may expect . , extraordinary , with white being very uncouth , but also pinko , greens , yellows and purples ( to almost black ) ! And you’re able to get the most amazing tonalities on this palette , from bright and knock-down to soft and sophisticated !
Each efflorescence can last to up to 6 week , and the whole show for month ! The leaves are typically emerald , overweight , glossy and ellipse in shape , and its sobriquet may come from the fact that some have stems that look like canes …
One of the most generous pratfall among orchidaceous plant , dendrobium can really turn the branches of your trees into aaerial garden filled with flowers , coloring material and alien shapes .
Bromeliads (Bromeliaceae Family)
Bromeliads are a huge number of plants , in fact , they are a whole phratry with 72 genera and a walloping 2,700 species ! However , when we apply this full term we mainly refer to theBromelioidaeaesubfamily ( urn plant and relatives ) and theGuzmaniagenus , which has become a very popular houseplant !
And they do merit a special place on our inclination , because , of course , most are epiphytic plant or litophytes ! And they will look great snuggle on the ramification of your garden ’s Tree ! They will produce colorful bracts , in bright and vibrant specter of red , orangish , pinkish or yellow once they are ready to blossom .
This can happen at any time of the year , and it will last a very long metre indeed , about three months ! However , this will also spell the departure of these industrial plant from our earth … But never mind , they may produce pups and you will get a new generation , and then love the bloom .
@airplantalchemy
These are commonly blue or purple , often tubelike and pop out out from between these modified leaves , but sometimes they have three diffuse out petal . The foliage is always lush , in many colors , from ice blue to dark emerald green ; some are very shining , others have a dusting on them , but they are always lush and they always form very sculptured rosette indeed !
Fairly gentle to grow and very easy to find on the marketplace as houseplants , bromeliads will love mature on trees in live and humid regions , and those coloured rosettes raise on branches are a really alien wonder indeed !
Bird’s Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus)
Yet another alien perennial that likes to grow on Tree is hoot ’s nest fern , a pop houseplant . In fact , it is native of tropic forests of Southeast Asia , Australia and Hawaii , and it has lots to offer to afford gardens in hot countries … Its suggestive name come from the form that the foliage take , a wide and open rosette .
But it narrate us footling about other assets of this epiphytic assortment … For example , it does not state us that the fronds are super glossy , to the point of strike ! And it does not tell apart us that they are of the most exquisite emerald green colour you will ever see … Nor does it tell us that they are wavy at the margins , and young shoots curl up elegantly at the tips .
All this is in demarcation with the neat mid costa , which takes up a pale shade on the upper Page , but tends to dark brown underneath . And there , regular line of spore will radiate towards the edges when it is fertile . Growing it over you drumhead , nestled between shadowed branches also means having a winner of the coveted Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society in your appeal .
@orkid_esbe
Easy to grow and very easy to bump , snort ’s nest fern can give you lush and glistening evergreen foliage to rise on trees , for a full complete and florid tropical and exotic feeling . What is more , it can grow well even in cryptical shade !
Orchid Cactus (Disocactus ackermannii)
Evocatively call orchid cactus , Disocactusackermaniiis an epiphytic succulent species of theCactaceaefamily that grows on the marvelous trees of the woodland of some southerly states of Mexico ( Chiapas , Oaxaca , Puebla and Veracruz ) .
This plant arise on short stems , only about 4 to 7 in long ( 10 to 18 cm ) , but there , develop segments of flatten out leave , that can be 30 inches foresightful ( 75 cm ) , wavy at the border , and similar , but on a liberal scale , to those of Christmas cactus … These arch downwards , fall from the leafy crowns above you head … And with thus drape riding habit , they convey their impressive blossoms to your center !
The fiery spectacle will ignite up in mid leaping , when you will see scarlet red flowers opening at the tips . These are quite grown , about 6 inches long ( 15 cm ) and across , funnel shared and orifice encompassing at the oral fissure , discover rows of pointed and elliptical petal with a shiny waxy grain .
In the middle , you will savour long and slender , straight filament in the same colour , though they may turn green at the ends . At the back , long and sword like petal will form rays , like in a hotshot . There are also varieties in magenta and rose pink ! And these arealsofollowed by egg shaped , dark-green to reddish brown fruits , which are eatable and lusciously honeyed !
Orchid cactus like cloud forests at mellow altitude , not just improbable trees … It like both red-hot conditions and high humidity level . But if you could give these , this epiphytic cactus will definitely arise up any garden with its alien and energetic , showy bloom !
Coelogyne Rochussenii(Coelogyne rochussenii)
Here is another orchid for you , and there are many more from theOrchideaceaefamily , but this needs a mention : Coelogynerochussenii … To start with , it is a fleck more hardy than other epiphytic varieties , while there are many sublunar species you could grow in temperate regions … But there is more … This native stunner has its home ground on the branches of high altitudetropical tree in Borneo , Java , Sumatra and some of the Filipino island … And it is very extra indeed !
In fact , its alien looking for bloom will make out on long pendulous spikes , up to 2 groundwork in duration ( 60 centimeter ) ! And you will get up to 50 ( ! ! ! ) flower on each , and many a flag clustering per industrial plant ! Even a dozen ! It ’s like having floral falls coming down from above ! Each bloom is about 2.5 inch across ( 6.25 cm ) , and – they can blossom at any fourth dimension of the year !
They are cream in color , with variations and many shades , from yellowish to greenish and brownish , a long , vase like arching labellum with an drawn-out white “ tongue ” at the bottom and an orange brim at the top ! The other flower petal are long and pointed , forming a decorative wiz .
They open in the morning and stuffy somewhat at nighttime , and they have a unattackable lemon tree like scent as well ! And the foliage ? The leaves grow above this floral display , and they organise adorable tufts of ovate , arched and fleshy leaves with a bright emerald and sheeny sheen !
A really fantastical epiphytic plant , Coelogynerochusseniiis the orchid you need if you wish well to be original and at the same time wow your invitee with a its amazing , long long-lasting , and really weeping blossoms ! Just spectacular come up down from tree limb !
Mistletoe (Viscum album)
There are many genera of mistletoe , includingPhoradendronfrom North America andArceuthobiumfrom all over the globe , essentially , but we would like to sharpen on the most classic of all : Viscum albumfrom Europe … But is it anepiphyte ?
Well , it grows on trees , but it is also a hemi - parassitic flora , intend that it takes nutrients from its emcee , not from the air … Nevertheless , some view it as a an epiphytic shrub , at least in behavior and home ground … Yes , it is really a piffling evergreen bush , with strap like , very leathery and shining leafage that grow to 3.15 inches long ( 8.0 cm ) and they are very glossy indeed .
It also a efflorescence works … Its fiddling blossom will appear at the armpits of the leafstalk , at the tip of the little segmented branch in bound and summer . They are tiny , but very heavy and mainly dark scandalmongering , but sometimes they have whitened in them as well .
But of course , it is mainlyfamous for its round and viscous , semitransparent fruits , which persist into the wintertime months , and they are very decorative , on top of bringing good luck ! One note , each Charles Edward Berry usually check only one ejaculate .
If you live in a temperate or cold region , it is hard to fond an air plant to grow on the ramification of your trees . No , you wo n’t have orchidaceous plant flower above your head word … But you could still grow humble but beautiful mistletoe . Do keep it in check , because it could become problematic . Its pet hosts are apples , limes and lindens , haw and poplars , while its American sister , Arceuthobium , favour pines and cypress tree .
Epiphytes for a Garden in the Sky!
straight , most epiphytic miscellanea are alien and tropical , but if you have the good uprise condition , these varieties ( and many more orchid ) , can literally give you a little garden snuggle among the outgrowth of your tree , and a full on rainforest landscape !
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Amber Noyes was born and grow in a suburban California town , San Mateo . She holds a master ’s point in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco . With experience form on an organic farm , water preservation inquiry , farmers ’ markets , and plant baby’s room , she understands what make plants flourish and how we can well understand the connexion between microclimate and plant life health . When she ’s not on the res publica , Amber loves informing people of Modern ideas / things related to gardening , especially constitutional gardening , houseplants , and growing plants in a small space .
