More feral orchids in our yard

[voyager]

My father was an optometrist.
He grew up as a myopic and was always impressed by my farsightedness.
He always said I could read a newspaper tacked on the wall from across the room.
Now, moving into my late 70s, my eyesight is not as good as it used to be.
Plus, I've lost the sight in my right eye from glaucoma.
I no longer see like a 16 year old.

I found more feral Vandas up in some of our trees.
I had much trouble seeing their flower's shapes and colors.
I could not see them well enough through binoculars, so I bought a 20 to 60X monocular spotting scope.
Now, I can see see and recognize our feral orchids when it's mounted on my photo tripod.
That is the only use I have for it so far.
But, we do have many trees with orchids in them, will have opportunities to use it.

A while ago, I posted this:
Vanda ex-spurt needed

It began degrading badly, I removed it and it died before regaining any vigor.
I thought I had no more of them and was saddened.
I bought the spotting scope to be able to see this one and one other elsewhere in the yard.
I thought I could see a magenta cast to the petals.
It could be seen with the scope.

I just grabbed a quick quick pic of a "new" Vanda.
The new discoveries all look to be V. luzonica hybrids.
I'll get more pics when I get better light.

The Dendrochilum glumaccium is getting close to being in full bloom.
I'll add a pic in other other thread when ready.
The picture is poor but when I get better light, I'll try again and include any others I can find.
It's begining to look as if I may have an assortment of these around.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Even as your gifts abandon you, living in the land of feral orchids makes for the chance to see both near and far to see beauty.

Great optics help too, lol

Zeiss, Swarovski or any number of others... good lenses can be bought when ours fail!

[voyager]

The lighting is much better today, although it's windy.
Here again is a close up of the Vanda.

Most of the flower colors can now be seen.
Little doubt rastafouni, from the linked thread, is very close, if not dead on, that these magenta spotted flowers are probably Vanda Boschii's or similar.

While they are obviously closely related, they are also obviously grown from different seeds.
Other than flower spotting sizes and shapes, I note that the lip on this one, has no yellow on its edges.
Maybe though, that could change in a later rebloom.

The reason I found this one is that the tree it's on is near our house and cars.
A wind storm could could possibly blow it down creating a danger for them.
I was looking at ways to cut it down when I noted the Vanda in it.
It's about 40' up the tree, and about 35' from the garage where I took the pics.

Now I need to think about how to save the orchid when I cut the tree down.
If I just cut it down, the orchid will end up slamming into the ground, not a good idea.
Topping it will be problematical.
I have a bunch of other orchids in that and other nearby trees, among other things to consider.
Didn't take pics of the other found magenta spotted Vanda.
It's across the yard and backlit by the sun.

Life is complicated.

[estación seca]

If the former owner imported wild-collected plants the symbiotic fungi might have come with them. That could allow seedlings to survive. Of course this is just guessing.

[DirtyCoconuts]

I don’t know if you can climb to that place but if you can tie the top portion to an adjacent tree with a guy wire and then cut that section loose. It will drop a bit and swing into the tree it is anchored to

Still very dangerous but it mitigates the danger and allows you to save the orchid. Then there will be less remaining tree to fell and that’s safer too

[voyager]

@ ES:
The previous owners didn't know there were orchids around here, until I told and showed them.
Although, they must have seen the terrestrial Spathoglotis's and Phaius's that grow all over along the sides the roads.

In post #8 of the thread I've listed here previously, I note at the end:
{... Another digression:
I'm beginning to understand why there are so many V. Trimerrills and other orchids around here.
The land our subdivision is located on was part of the Shipman Estate.
The Shipmans are descended from some of the original missionaries sent to Hawaii.
A Shipman is listed as the originator of the V. Trimerrill hybrid.

From a Wikipedia article related to the Hawaii Island Shipmans:
... "The Shipman family also kept many exotic plants at the ranch, including some of the first orchids raised on the island. Herbert (president of the Hawaii Orchid Society) was awarded a gold medal in 1957 by the American Orchid Society for contributions to the industry." ...}

Orchids have been raised in our area for well over 70 years, probably also feral for at least nearly as long.
Orchids are one invasive plant I have no problem accepting.

@ DC:
I will not climb that high in a dead tree around here.
Many are very unstable.
That one has been dead for at least 7 years now.

A good portion of the problems with bringing Vandas down out of the trees is saving their root systems.
Vanda roots can cover extensive areas from high to low on their tree.
The size of the plant indicated that it has a very large root system.
There are a number of orchids I've mounted lower on the tree.
Some are getting pretty big and have their own extensive root systems to be considered in this.

It is looking as if the tree might be cut at about 20' causing minimal root damage to the orchids.
But, the upper portion could be snapped into several pieces in bringing it down probably destroying a portion of the root systems.

Much to think about and consider before doing anything.
Luckily, this is near the end of the hurricane season in a La Nina year.
Chances of a hurricane are near 0 right now, got time to figure this out.

[estación seca]

I meant the Shipmans, long ago.