General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also accent epiphyte.
Ecological Restoration Notes: A common epiphyte nearly throughout South Florida in a wide variety of ecosystems.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Epiphytic wildflower.
Dimensions: Leaves about 8-12 inches long. The flowering branches extend beyond the leaves.
Growth Rate: Slow.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Flagler, Putnam and Levy counties; Bahamas.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: Forests and thickets.
Soils: Epiphytic; grows on the trunks and branches of trees and shrubs.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows on nutrient poor substrate..
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance: Moderate; requires moist substrate and high humidity to thrive.
Light Requirements: Light shade to full sun.
Flower Color: Greenish- to reddish-brown with white and pink lip.
Flower Characteristics: Showy. Fragrant.
Flowering Season: Summer.
Fruit: Capsule containing numerous minute seeds. Dispersal is by wind.
Wildlife and Ecology: The flowers are primarily pollinated by bees.
Horticultural Notes: Primarily grown from seed in a sterilized flask.
References: A Gardner's Guide to Florida's Native Plants
Comments: Produces more flowers in the full sun. It is listed as commercially exploited by the state of Florida. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page.
