Meet Florida’s Most Beautiful Native Orchids
SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
Nicknamed the “South Florida Butterfly” or “Onion Orchid”, Encyclia tampensis is native to The Bahamas, Cuba and Florida, where it grows on a wide variety of native trees including live oak, slash pine, red maple, gum, bald cypress, buttonwood, pop ash and pond apple. The flowering period is May-August, and peaks in June.
CIGAR ORCHID
Nicknamed the “Cigar Orchid” or “Florida Cowhorn” Cyrtopodium punctatum is an epiphytic orchid that used to be abundant throughout South Florida. It is now legally endangered in The Sunshine State. Currently, wild populations have only been found in a small number of cypress domes and prairies in Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Corkscrew Strand State Park and the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. The flowering period is from March-May.
ORCHID Installation Essentials
South Florida was once an orchid wonderland before development and deforestation removed them from their natural habitat. Thanks to the Million Orchid Project, Florida’s rare and native orchids are making a beautiful comeback!
Easy as 1-2-3
1. SECURE (Affix with Liquid Nails Glue Tube)
2. STRING (Reinforce with Burlap Twine)
3. SPRAY (H20 Spray Bottle)
STEP 1: Select a sturdy tree with lots of horizontal branches and good exposure to light. Choose branches that are visible, but higher than arm’s length. Using a step ladder will yield best placement. Once you decide on the perfect spot to affix the center of your orchid, apply large drops of Liquid Nails directly to the bark, allowing it to harden for 20-30 minutes until consistency of sticky clay.
STEP 2: Press the pseudobulb (base of leaves, above roots) into the drop of glue, allowing the roots to hang below the glue and contact the bark. Avoid embedding roots in glue. Reinforce with Burlap Twin to hold in place, if needed. The string will decompose after a year and does not need to be removed.
STEP 3: Water DAILY for 1 WEEK and then 3x PER WEEK for 1 MONTH or until established.
…And Finally…
