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Epiphytes in the Conservatory!
We have started an epiphyte collection in the Mary E. Bivins Tropical Conservatory. Come check it out and see how many you can find. What's an epiphyte?
An epiphyte is a plant that has the ability to grow upon another plant or other object. The term epiphytic derives from the Greek epi (meaning ‘upon’) and phyton (meaning ‘plant’). It is non-parasitic, deriving its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain or often from debris accumulating around its roots or within the plant itself. Epiphytes may be found in temperate zones but are most often found in the tropics as ferns, cacti, orchids and bromeliads. Epiphytes have advantages over other plants while being attached to their hosts high in the canopy or on a cliff face. This elevation gives an advantage over plants restricted to the ground where there is less light and herbivores may be more active. In a deep rain forest less than 3% of the sun’s rays reach the forest floor.
Some of our favorite 'house' plants and cut flowers are epiphytic. Many species of orchids and bromeliads are most often found growing epiphytically in their natural state. Pots filled with loose, free draining materials mimicking the bark of a tree are used to grow these plants, adapting them to home culture. These two genera alone represent some of our most interesting and colorful species in the plant world.
With over 15,000 species of epiphytic plants found in tropical forests around the world, it is only fitting that the Mary E. Bivins Tropical Conservatory has a good representation of this interesting and diverse group of plants. We have boosted our collection to 60 species of bromeliads, 16 species of orchids, as well as epiphytic cactus and ferns.
You will find large pieces of dead wood in the conservatory which create dead ‘trees’; natural in any forest. These trees are being used to showcase much of our epiphytic collection in a very natural way while providing an interesting structure for display. While providing a unique and educational display, the bromeliads add biodiversity to our forest through their ability to “house” other living organisms. A single large tank bromeliad such as Alcantarea imperialis may have several dozen species of life living within its leaf reservoir. The leaf axis of many bromeliads creates a highly specialized system for nutrient and water capture. This reservoir may become the home for such life as: insects, frogs, lizards, insects and even small fish. This symbiotic relationship is just one of the many fascinating and educational experiences you will find when you visit the Amarillo Botanical Gardens.