Mystery discovery
 

Alright so here's what happened,

It's Sunday so I decided to be a good person and go help a friend of mine with some yard work. She lives on a 4-5 acre piece of property on the river down here in SWFL. The house is tucked back in a shaded area covered in oak trees, they were the ones to actually develop the land and build the home that they are in maybe 14 years ago.

Here's where everything gets crazy. We are out there just doin our thing when I start looking in the trees to see if I can spy any common butterfly orchids (which I did) when out of no where BAM I see this huge guy!!

What is it!?!?
How did it get there!?!
So many questions are raving through my head.

I have one slight idea as to what it is but how the thing got up there I have no clue. It's probable about 20 feet in the air and looks to have been there for a while. My guess is that it is some kind of Schomburgkia, but are those even found native in Florida?? If anyone knows anything feel free to let me know!

Something else that I found strange is that all those long leaves hanging underneath that mystery orchid are actully butterfly orchids... they are completely covering that tree.. it's like the orchid mother load.

Interesting. It does look like a Schomburgkia and there are none native to Florida that I know of.

I have read of Schomburgkias in cultivation around Homestead producing seed, which has sprouted on nearby trees. Maybe that's what happened.

Maybe you could send the photos to this guy for comment:

Florida's Native and Naturalized Orchids

With all the orchids people have put in trees down there...it could also have been blown into the tree by a storm and it took hold and grew.

Thanks for the information I'll defiantly be contacting that guy to see what he has to say! The plant looks like it's been there forever with all the roots and canes that are over taking that oak branch, blows my mind!
I my best hunch was seeds that became air born which is awesome!