Quail Botanical Gardens - Epiphytes Galore

[epiphyte]

I have a bunch of projects to work on so I figured what better time to share some photos that I took when I visited the Quail Botanical Gardens earlier this year. It also helped that this forum category (specifically for botanical garden pictures) was recently created (if you create it they will post). Additionally, just a couple days ago I talked with the Living Collections Curator of another local botanical garden about the possibility of mounting orchids on some of their trees...hopefully some of these pictures will encourage him to give it some serious consideration.

I've lived in Southern California for most of my life and have visited most of our botanical gardens. It was only just last year that somebody recommended that I visit the Quail Botanical Gardens which is located down in the San Diego Area. I wasn't expecting much but was really pleasantly surprised to find so many epiphytes, including orchids, mounted on their trees. As you'll see in the pictures they set up drip systems in their trees to help water the epiphytes...which is somewhat similar to the system I have set up for the orchids on my Cedar Tree.

If my memory serves me correctly, it was the San Diego Orchid Society that mounted the orchids several years ago. Not sure if they mounted the other epiphytes as well. I'll send them a link to this thread and see if they can't help identify some of the orchids and provide a more accurate date for when they mounted the orchids on the trees.

The gardens will be hosting the San Diego International Orchid Fair on October 3, 4, and 5 so I highly recommend keeping that weekend open to visit the gardens. I plan on making it and will be more than happy to show you where the plants in these photos are located.

[epiphyte]

Hmmm, so I suppose I'll place the picture above my guess as to the species and you can see if your guess matches my own. Let me know if your guess is different.

The photos are large, so feel free to download and resize them to your hearts content.




I'm pretty sure that's Dendrobium speciosum...perhaps var. hillii and maybe even 'Don Brown'. Dendrobium speciosum var. hillii is sometimes known as Dendrobium tarberi. Var. hillii is probably the largest form and is distinguished by its tall canes that are not tapered and the tendency to have many upright roots that form a basket to capture leaf litter. It's from Australia where it grows on rocks and trees. I've heard that it's found mainly on rocks because the ones in the trees often don't survive the frequent bush fires. It's one of the hardiest epiphytic orchids and easily makes my top 10 list of tolerant orchids.

The one in the picture is a very large specimen and is growing on the asphalt? bank of a small stream.





This is an epiphytic fern that also produces a leaf litter capturing basket. I'm pretty sure it's a Drynaria but not too sure of the species... perhaps rigidula or quercifolia.





Based on the tag, this is Epidendrum falcatum. Looks like the mount it was one was just hung on the tree. Not sure if they bring it inside their greenhouse during winter. One very close relative that does great outdoors is Epidendrum parkinsonianum, which also has that neat pendant, downward growing habit.





This is super cool. Ever since I was a kid I was fascinated by strangler figs. The fruit of stranger figs are eaten by birds, which then poop the seeds high in the branches of other trees. The seed germinates and starts its life as an epiphyte. It grows slowly at first and sends its roots all the way down the trunk to the ground. Once the roots reach the ground it grows faster and sends out more roots that eventually envelop and strangle the host.

This ficus was obviously in a pot and placed in the crook of this tree, but you can see that its roots have already reached the ground and in several years it will completely envelop the tree that it was placed on. I'd like to shake the hand of whoever approved the plan to place the ficus there.





Here's some type of what looks like an Australian dendrobium in a Jacaranda tree. Probably a hybrid...maybe between speciosum and tetragonum? Not sure as I haven't looked much into hybrids. Hopefully some of our Australian members might have a better idea.





Here's what I believe to be another Dendrobium speciosum in the same Jacaranda tree.





Here's what probably is Encyclia adenocaula in the same Jacaranda tree.





This is another angle of the same Encyclia.





This is some type of Schomburgkia/Myrmecophila... probably either tibicinis or thomsoniana...which are two of the more commonly encountered types outdoors here in Southern California. It's in the same Jacaranda tree.





Here's another angle of the same Schomburgkia/Myrmecophila.





Here's a zoomed out picture of the Jacaranda tree.





This is most likely a Brazilian Laelia/Sophronitis... perhaps purpurata or tenebrosa.





Some type of Anthurium and Philodendron.





Another angle of the same tree.





Here's some epiphytes in a coniferous tree. Looks like an Anthurium, Platycerium, Bird's Nest Fern and Rhipsalis among others.





Here's a close up of the same tree.

[katrina]

WOW...Super cool photos! Looks like an amazing place to visit.

Thanks for sharing!

[solay]

Did you get a neck ache after that visit? I know I would have. LOL!!! It would have been worth it though to see all that on the trees. Thanks for sharing.