Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Air Plant


There are a lot of Live Oaks in the Florida panhandle.  These are gorgeous trees with branches that spread out perfectly for shade and perhaps a swing.

The interesting part for me is seeing the Resurrection Ferns that attach to them.  The plant is an air plant and gets it nutrients from air, water, and the outer surface of the bark.  The fern covers the branches of the trees at this park.  I’m not sure how a tree survives, but given how large the trees are, they must have survived years and seem quite healthy.

The fern is interesting in itself.  It can go without water for a long time, some say years, and still survive.  During a drought, the fern dries out and turns brown.  (Sorry, no picture of a dry fern since it’s too wet here in Florida!)  When it a rains, the dry fern opens out and will turn green again.

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