Coconut Grove Plant Shop Crawl Planner for Tree Orchids

Walk the leafy lanes of Coconut Grove and look up. Orchids cling to the trunks of live oaks, bloom on the branches of mango trees and dangle from wooden slats hung in the shade. Tying orchids to trees is an old South Florida habit, and few neighborhoods show it off better than the Grove, with its thick canopy, humid air and bay breezes. This plant shop crawl planner is for anyone with a shady yard or a single tree who wants to try it. It explains which orchids suit tree life, how to mount them, what to buy on your crawl and how to end the day under the banyans.

Many tropical orchids are epiphytes, which means they grow on trees rather than in soil. Their roots grab onto bark, drink rain and humidity from the air and stay dry between showers. In much of the country these plants must live indoors in pots, but South Florida's warm, humid climate lets many of them grow outside year round.

Coconut Grove is especially suited to this. Old trees shade the yards, the air stays moist and breezes from Biscayne Bay keep things moving. Once mounted, an orchid can live on the same branch for years, slowly spreading its roots across the bark and blooming with little help.

Before you buy any orchids, take a walk around your yard and look at your trees. Live oaks, mangos, citrus and gumbo limbo all make good hosts, thanks to rough or textured bark that roots can grip. Palms with smooth trunks are harder, and trees with peeling bark can shed the orchids along with it.

Notice where light falls during the day. Most mounted orchids like bright, filtered light, such as the dappled shade on the east or north side of a trunk. Deep, dark shade under dense canopy may be too dim for blooms. Pick two or three spots on your trees that feel right before you go shopping.

Some orchids take to trees more easily than others. Vandas and their relatives love bright light and air around their roots, and many Grove gardeners hang them from branches in baskets. Cattleyas, with their big, fragrant flowers, grip bark well and enjoy bright, filtered light. Dendrobiums are tough and flower freely on sunny trunks.

Oncidiums, sometimes called dancing lady orchids, produce sprays of small yellow flowers and do well on branches. Encyclias and several other orchids native to the region also handle South Florida life. Ask growers which varieties handle summer rains and occasional cool snaps, and which bloom in the season you most want color.

Coconut Grove and the surrounding neighborhoods have garden shops, nurseries and orchid growers who sell plants in pots, baskets and already mounted on wood. Weekend markets and plant sales also turn up interesting varieties. Visit a few places before you decide, since each grower tends to specialize in certain types.

Look for orchids with firm, green leaves and healthy silvery or green roots rather than mushy or brown ones. A plant in bud gives you flowers sooner, but a smaller, healthy plant will settle onto a tree more easily. Ask how the orchid was grown, whether it is used to outdoor conditions and how much sun it has had.

Mounting an orchid needs only a few simple supplies. Soft natural twine, cotton string or strips of old pantyhose hold the plant against the bark without cutting roots. A handful of sphagnum moss placed behind the roots helps keep them moist while they attach. Some gardeners use plastic plant ties or small staples into the bark, but soft ties are gentler.

If you want to move orchids around before committing to a tree, buy small cedar or cork mounts. These pieces of wood or bark can hang from branches or hooks and still give roots something to grip. Many nurseries sell orchids already mounted, which is an easy way to start.

Choose a spot on the trunk or branch where water drains away rather than pooling. Remove the orchid gently from its pot and shake off loose bark or moss. Place a small pad of sphagnum against the tree, then press the orchid's roots onto it, with the plant facing outward and new growth pointing up or toward the light.

Wrap twine around the roots and the branch several times, tight enough to hold the plant steady but not so tight that it crushes the roots. Within a few months, new roots will grow over the bark and attach firmly. Once that happens, the twine can rot away or be cut off, leaving the orchid attached to the tree.

Set aside time on your crawl for a walk through the Grove's oldest streets, where banyan trees spread aerial roots into great tangled curtains. Many yards along these lanes have orchids, bromeliads and ferns growing on their trees, so it is a living lesson in how the plants look once settled.

Walk slowly and look closely at the branches. You will notice how gardeners place orchids at different heights, how roots creep across bark and how ferns and bromeliads fill gaps. Admire from the sidewalk and respect private yards. If a resident is out gardening, a friendly question can lead to the best advice of the day.

Orchids on trees in Miami get much of their water from rain and humidity. During the wet season, they may need little or no extra watering. In the dry season, mist or water them in the morning every day or two, especially newly mounted plants that have not yet rooted. Water early so leaves dry before nightfall.

A light liquid orchid fertilizer every few weeks in the growing season helps blooms. Watch for snails, scale insects and sunburn, and move orchids if leaves turn yellow from too much light. During rare cold nights, cover low orchids with a cloth or bring mounted plants indoors until it warms up.

Finish your crawl with a walk toward Biscayne Bay, where the Grove opens onto parks, marinas and sailboats bobbing on the water. Find a bench in the shade, set your orchids beside you and watch the light change over the bay. The breeze off the water is part of what keeps the neighborhood's orchids so happy.

Carry your plants carefully on the way home. Keep potted orchids upright in a box or tote, and protect flower spikes with a loose paper sleeve so they do not snap. If you bought mounted orchids, hang them on a hook or lay them flat in the car, out of direct sun.

A tree orchid garden grows slowly, one plant and one branch at a time. Many Grove gardeners add a few orchids each year, trade divisions with neighbors and watch their trees fill with color over seasons. The first time a mounted orchid blooms on its own, it feels like the tree has joined the garden.

For your next round, search the Karpo APP for orchid growers, nurseries and garden shops in and around Coconut Grove. Start with two or three tough orchids, give them the right trees and let the humid Miami air do much of the work.