I do not grow them but many people I know do. They are fairly common in Florida and do well mounted on trees. They require full sun.

I have never heard they need a lot of water. I would double check on that information.

In my area they are often referred to as the 'snowbird orchid' because they can be mounted and forgotten. They get watered when it rains and that's it! I do not know of any grown in pots or baskets. They are all mounted on trees.

They require a lot of sunlight to flower. Their spikes are quite long and stick out from under the canopy of the tree making a beautiful sight.

If I were going to grow them in a basket, I would probably use stone or a mix of large bark You need to realize that they get quite large and their flower spikes can be 4 ft long.

Try doing a Google search for Schomburgkia which is the common name.

Jane

Thanks Jane. I was hoping you would respond. Your advice is always so helpful. The only tree I have that would be close to suitable is a gumbo limbo, but the canopy on that is so dense during the summer that the orchid would be in full shade.

I'm going to try a six inch basket, with the longest hanger I can find. I have a wooden privacy fence on one side of my yard that I can then hang it off of. It will get full sun, and I can move it as needed. I'll use either the big pine bark chunks, the round clay pebbles, or lava rock. Not sure which yet,

thanks again!

Curious as to how it is doing in the basket. I have one I just got and need to determine a home

It's doing... ok. It's grown a lot of roots (had almost none when I got it) but no new psuedobulbs. A handful of the oldest smaller bulbs have died off, but the big ones look very healthy.

im not thrilled but I'm not worried yet.

Thanks for the update. Hope it starts thriving soon.

Thank you Ben. I will locate a tree today!

I'll point out that there is nothing magic about mounting on a tree. What matters is drainag, water, sun, and fertilizer. A tree can provide that, but so can other media.

Motes has one in a basket that is six feet in diameter, and the basket was engulfed long ago. I think mine just needs more time. Winter wasn't the best time for expecting new growth.

It is not magic but clearly some orchids do better mounted and others perform better potted. 2 years ago I repotted a catt. intermedia. I potted one and mounted the other. They live next to each other. They both have the same number of new bulbs. But the potted one has larger canes. And recently the potted is about ready yo bloom with 3 buds and the mounted has just a sheath and a smaller cane. Care and culture is exactly the same. Some orchids do well with all roots exposed. Other plants will direct their roots in the pot. Some will have the equal results. It varies by plant.

The ones on the tree in the picture appear to be optimum. Potted would they be the same? I think not. I have Shom. tibicini on a palmetto. It is so happy it is grinning! I have a den. on a tree that has struggled but finally bloomed. The potted version blooms frequently.

In general a workable approach is to try our best to duplicate what a particular plant gets in nature. There are a lot of tree mounted orchids in nature...

Mounted plants need water daily, pots less.

It is very true they do well in south Florida on trees. Unfortunately I don't have one that gets enough sun for one of these, hence I have it in a basket.

I helped a neighbor with one. We mounted it on a piece of cork. Put a wire through the top. Then attached the wire to a corner of the house with good exposure. It worked. Bloomed many times.

A couple of plants that climb and need trees or something to climb.. The terete vandas and vanilla.

@oldmangroot

"I'll point out that there is nothing magic about mounting on a tree".....

There is substantial "magic" when an orchid is mounted on a tree. it is de-facto naturalized. it is much lower maintenance, provided you have a sprinkler system that reaches the plant. My landscaped island with queen palms and schombos, had a 6 ft high sprinkler extension in the center and water reached all plants mounted on trees.

The tree acts as a heat blanket during cold spells and protects the plant from cold damage. Your concerns about over watering and fungus problems are history as the plant dries quickly, consequently much less chemicals needed to care for your plant. Root extensions are as they are in nature, reaching ridiculous lengths.

Once plant is established, If you do nothing to it, it will survive, as the occasional rain and bird dropping will keep it it alive. I had mounted an Onc sphacelatum on a roebellini palm and did nothing to it for 15 years, planted it on a palm in my mother in law's yard. Plant expended to 8 ft diameter when in bloom.

You do not have to repot the plant mounted on the tree, saving you time and money. This is provided that your tree is in a sub tropical environment such as Southern Florida... which was my home for 32 years.

Then there is the all important WOW factor of a nice sized orchid blooming on a tree.

It sounds magical to me... LOL

Thanks Ben. I'd love to mount this one on a tree, I just don't have an appropriate tree. All of mine produce deep shade, a la phal light levels, or have bark that peels (gumbo limbo) and provide again too much shade during some seasons. My only pygmy date palms also have shaded trunks (close to the roof).

So... basket it is!

found a picture of the schomburkia on my queen palm trunk - chunk, pls note this is one plant that is wrapped around the 5 ft section of queen palm. It took 3 men to get this up on a truck to deliver it.

and an older picture while still on tree a couple of years previous, note the spikes extending a nice length

Hi old man I don't know much about orchids but, when I want to grow my flowers in the Sun I use a shepherd's hook. You can get a shepherd's hook and hang a pretty piece of branch on it and then tie your orchid to it and you can put your shepherd's hook right where you want it. Happy growing

Thanks Libby! I'm happy to report it woke up this week. I see a couple of swelling nodes at the base, and roots have suddenly grown out the bottom of the basket. I'm hopeful!

As I had mentioned the big oncidium sphacelatum mounted on a robellini palm on a family member's house, I finally located a couple of pictures and here is one.

I love growing orchids and I freely admit am not the best organized photographer...8 ft across, measured with a 2x4x8ft long piece of lumber I had in garage...15 years of doing nothing to it

Well grown. I love these big, insitu specimen robust orchid plants. They are a peek into their habitats. A beauty!

That is amazing! When I lived in S. fla. I used to grow orchids in my trees, on my privacy fence, hanging from the eves of my house, anywhere I could. I love the ones in trees!

hi im in zone 10 a. oldmangroot - I just ordered from Motes and the very large size came in a very interesting mount. It is in a wood slat basket however the pseudobulbs are thru the slats and the roots are on the open part of basket. I wondered exactly what you said if that would ultimately engulf the basket. I don't know if there is a way to tag a person.

Hi Helen! Interesting! Sounds like you got a great plant! Can you post a picture?