Epiphytes in the garden

10/2/2015

Our modern landscape is a patchwork of forest, agriculture and urban land use. We rely on the forests to host and protect the majority of our native epiphyte, vine and mistletoe species. However, there are many opportunities to have these interesting species much closer to our urban homes.

I'm not aware of any formal investigations of people's backyard epiphyte diversity but I know of a few examples where home-owners are passionately growing all sorts of perching plants. The best local example is probably from Mr. Epiphyte Tree himself:

The amazing epiphyte collection from epiphytetree.com.

Kristoffer Hylander from Stockholm University and Sileshi Nemomissa from Addis Ababa University undertook a study in Ethiopia to investigate epiphyte populations on native coffee shurbs in home gardens. They found that these native shrubs growing in people's backyards were hosting between 6 and 27 epiphytic species and collectively, they hosted more species and more unique species than did other native trees in the same setting.

I don't think that the Ethiopian situation is mirrored in New Zealand because we can't achieve forest-like humidity in urban centres but I would be interested to hear from anyone who has a good epiphyte load in their home garden, either planted or naturally occurring?

In the meantime, here are a few more pictures of garden epiphytes from around the world:

A cultivated epiphyte garden in the New York Botanic Gardens. Photo: nybg.org

An amazing spanish moss cave! Photo: R. Chambers

Epiphytes covering a bridge in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Photo: sara-another100yearoldhousereno.blogspot.co.nz

Spanish moss growing on a Feijoa in Southern California. Photo: W. Armstrong.

7 Comments

Kirsty Myron

12/2/2015 02:09:50 am

Great photos! I'm going to New York soon - I'll keep an eye out for the epiphytes at the New York Botanic Gardens.

Epiphyte link

16/2/2015 08:01:02 am

Excellent epiphyte entry! My garden is full of pretty much the widest possible variety of epiphytes. Except, some of the moisture lovers aren't too happy because during winter (now) I tend to cut back on watering... a lot. Really I should focus my collection on the most drought resistant epiphytes.

That's a great study about Ethiopian epiphytes on urban coffee trees. Back in 2008 I posted a list online of references regarding epiphytes in plantations/orchards...

http://forum.theorchidsource.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/49961.html

It's an excellent way to attach two epiphytes to the same branch (aka kill two birds with one stone). Maybe three epiphytes? Quite a few epiphytes actually. Recently I read somewhere that Florida orange farmers regularly weed their orange trees of epiphytes! Ugh.

Of course I cherish the thought of maximizing epiphyte colonization of urban spaces. What's the best way to help facilitate this? Not sure if you heard of the million orchid project...

http://www.fairchildgarden.org/Science-Conservation/The-Million-Orchid-Project

Hope you don't mind but I poked and prodded your theory a bit more...

http://epiecon.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-efficient-allocation-of-plants.html

Epiphyte link

17/3/2015 08:33:05 pm

Oops, that last link was meant to be this one...

http://epiecon.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-inefficient-allocation-of-epiphytic.html

Graeme Ellerm

24/4/2016 03:18:30 am

I don't agree that you cant get the humidity in urban garden , I have 4 different native epiphytic orchids innumerable ferns (epiphytes) growing in a corner of my garden in Christchurch , I am looking at getting more but obtaining them is almost impossible , other than taking them from the bush which I am loath to do ,I have long held the belief that if more people grew and bred them in the home garden this would ease the pressure of them being taken from the bush

Catherine

25/4/2016 03:03:28 pm

That's great to hear Graeme, many of the network members would be interested to hear more about your garden epiphytes - if you'd post some info or photos on the facebook page or in an email that would be greatly appreciated: https://www.facebook.com/groups/423175967765842/
nzepiphytenetwork@gmail.com

Elsbeth Hardie

19/2/2020 08:08:55 pm

Hi, can you help me please. I am a homeowner in Remuera Auckland and I have two large epiphytes growing on a puriri and a pohutakawa. They are looking very brown - leaves still green - so I have watered them copiously today into their "trough" like interiors. Was this the right thing to do? I have done nothing to care for them in the past.

Catherine Kirby

17/1/2021 12:25:06 pm

Sorry for a very late response Elsbeth! I hope your epiphytes are doing ok now? You can always pop some photos on the NZ Epiphyte Network facebook page for advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/423175967765842

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Catherine Kirby

I work with NZ's native vascular epiphytes at the University of Waikato. I completed an MSc on epiphyte ecology and the shrub epiphyte Griselinia lucida and have recently published the Field Guide to NZ's Epiphytes, Vines & Mistletoes.

For me, the highlights of epiphyte research are the many unknowns, the amazing way that these plants survive in the canopy, and of course tree climbing!

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