Epiphytes: survival artists in the plant world

Art & culture in the botanical garden

Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants but are not parasitic. They use their surroundings, usually trees or shrubs, as support, but get their nutrients from the air, rain or from falling organic material that accumulates on the surface. They are therefore not rooted in the soil.

Epiphytes are often found in tropical rainforests, where they thrive on the branches and in the crowns of trees. Examples of epiphytes include many orchids, ferns, bromeliads and mosses.