Orchid epiphytes cling to bark and drink rain and fog from air
Many tropical orchids grow as epiphytes — perched on branches without parasitizing the host — using spongy roots and velamen coats to soak up rain, dew, and fog.
They draw almost no soil minerals from the tree; nutrient scraps come from dust, litter, and leaching bark. Bright flowers often recruit specific pollinators high in the canopy.
An orchid on a limb is a sky gardener. It farms moisture from humid air while using another trunk only as scaffolding, not as a meal.
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