Florida Native Orchids: another species to search for in the Evergaldes?

[mremensnyder]

That is a great idea about contacting the University of Florida for more info and in-depth specifics of FL native orchids, particularly the ghost orchid.

Incurableplanthead, I glued all the D. fawcetti to small hickory logs and they are currently sitting at the bottom of an aluminum cage, outside, next to the greenhouse where they receive dappled sunlight. Many look good a little over a week after de-flasking. I plan to elaborate on this set-up, but I think the summer humidity is finally high enough where they can be left mostly alone for a little while. Tonight it feels every bit as humid as the Fakahatchee, despite no rain for a couple days. the humidity is up during the daytime too, which is what I have been waiting for. Instead of 40-50% during the afternoons, I have been looking for 50-65% and that has finally arrived.

My ghost orchids have been deflasked and placed (tons were in the flask) on hardware cloth in a large clear plastic tub, which I will post about in the next few days.

One interesting tidbit I wanted to mention is regarding the Corkscrew swamp super-ghost(s). Sources all cite it as having been suddenly discovered in mid-2007. I was reading a thread from another forum about ghost orchids from 2005 and somebody mentions seeing the ghost orchids in Corkscrew swamp. Specifically, in a post dated 6/22/2005, the poster states that his brother saw one in bloom at Corkscrew swamp in Florida. So, the ghost orchids were almost certainly known about by a few individuals (who knows how many years) before being "discovered" in July 2007.

[IncurablePlantHead]

I'm pretty sure that with all the protected habitat, the ghost still haunts plenty of sites in the southern peninsula.

I'll be interested to know how your ghosts fare the summer! Hoping for a successful story for you to tell.

[mremensnyder]

I suspect you are right Incurableplanthead. I bet there are at least a few specimens in S Fl that are yet to be discovered. I would even speculate that the species might exist in Okaloacoochee slough state forest, just to the northeast of Corkscrew swamp and seemingly a similar habitat to the Fakahatchee, if just a bit farther north.

Our weather the past 5 days has not been very humid tropical forest-like, and has reminded me more of Phoenix in late April. The humidity has been 38-50% during the afternoons, so it is a good thing that the 100! ghost orchid seedlings are resting deep in a large plastic tub just above water. The 10-15 runts that would not be suitable for the hardware cloth are in a cut out milk carton on a cork bark slab. They all look good so far!

I am so tempted to get another flask, as the auction stated there were 15-20 plants in a flask, and I received well over 100! What a deal. Also the flask I bought was $200, and the one they are currently selling is only $100.

[IncurablePlantHead]

Wow, now you're blowing my mind. 100 viable plants in a flask, that's outrageous! Must have been a lot of tiny seedlings in there. I bet that was a deflasking nightmare. I was thinking, depending on how elaborate a laboratory setting you have, if the tiniest ones could have been replaced into other flasks of agar with more room to spread out for a while longer.

What a great deal!

[mremensnyder]

It is an excellent deal, and still available as of last night when I last checked. All the ghost orchids are looking well, 6 days in! Yay. Starting with disease free plants in hot conditions with (artificially created) high humidity and no water retaining organic substrate seems to be working well.

One lesson that I have just learned, or more of a realization that has come to me with the recent heat wave and droughty conditions...My area's natural climate will never be suitable for ghost orchids and other leafless or other orchids that require humid, rain forest conditions at all times. This is not a South FL swamp! During the best of times in summer (sometimes even in spring or fall), we may have weeks at a time that are perfectly humid day and night. This cannot, however, be counted on, as any time of year can and regularly does present conditions that will quickly kill these orchids from either low daytime humidity or cold nights/generally chilly weather in winter.

If I lived in a truly swampy area of Central FL even, I could probably just protect from occasional excessive cold/chill in the winter months, and otherwise my growing conditions would be just like the Fakahatchee. The humidity is the most key variable to success it seems, and it just isn't consistent enough even here on the Central Peninsula of FL for the picky orchids like most leafless species. Even our native Harrisella porrecta I believe only grows on twigs in wetter forest areas or microclimates surrounded by moss and vegetation.

[mremensnyder]

We finally received a good inch of rainfall yesterday, with more on the way likely over the next few days. Eight days in, the ghost orchids look great in their "humidity prison". Photos to follow.

After digressing considerably from the general subject of this thread, I would like to post some photos of my FL natives currently in bloom and the aforementioned updates on the ghosties. Bear in mind once again, I am no photographer, so the quality is not great.

First, 100 ghost orchids on hardware cloth loving their new humid home!

[mremensnyder]

Next, Trichocentrum undullatum, which likes a lot of sun. I tried to get at least one decent photo.

[mremensnyder]

Epidendrum magnoliae, enjoying the hot, humid afternoon in a large live oak.

[mremensnyder]

The tiny Ionopsis utricularoides on a twig, sent to me from Puerto Rico. I could not seem to get a focused shot of the flower.

[IncurablePlantHead]

Very happy looking plants! So green!