In northern climates orchids are relegated to the home, but here in southern Florida orchids find a veritable paradise in our gardens. There are several several types of orchids that are easy to grow and thrive on our trees or even planted in the ground.

Here are some of the easiest orchids to grow in our landscape: Lady of the night (Brassavola nodosa, emits delightful fragrance at night and great for walkways), bifolate cattleyas (these do best mounted anyways), phal-type dendrobiums, and mokaras (one of the few orchids that handle full Florida sun).

How to Mount an Orchid on a Tree

  1. Soak the orchid in water so soften the roots and the media for 15 min or more.
  2. Carefully remove all media from the delicate roots.
  3. Fill a bucket of water and add SuperThrive (encourages new root growth), neem oil (protects against infection), and orchid fertilizer (I like the MSU formula).
  4. Soak the orchid roots in the solution for a good 15 min. along with a wad of coconut coir.
  5. Remove from the soak and place the orchid roots directly against a tree. Place the wad of coconut coir over the roots. Then wrap the orchid securely to the tree. (I live to use Velcro ties or rubber-coated wire). Note: do not nail the orchid to the tree as this can damage the tree.

You will want to water and feed you landscape orchids for optimal blooming but they can take quite a bit of neglect.

To learn more about orchid-growing join an orchid society such as the Southwest Florida Orchid Society.