Rare orchids donated to Edison, Ford estates
Robert Riefer, of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, presented rare Florida native orchids to Edison and Ford Winter Estates Chief Executive Officer Mike Flanders.
The recently donated orchids include the Trichocentrum undulatum (Spotted Mule Ear), Vanilla dilloniana (Leafless Orchid) and Oncidium ensatum (Dancing Lady). They are now part of the estates’ collection in conjunction with the Million Orchid Project and will be propagated to conserve the endangered species.
The project is a national educational outreach program dedicated to orchid conservation. Its goal is to eventually re-establish 1 million native orchids. Orchids were among Florida’s first natural resources to be exploited. In the late 1880s, they were removed from the wild and sold as potted plants throughout northern flower shops. Today, the native orchids exist in such small numbers that many are endangered.
The estates are home to hundreds of orchids. It was Mina Edison’s favorite flower; she attached the plants to trees so that they could grow as they did in the wild. Today, horticulturists continue to attach orchids to trees throughout the site. Tours are offered daily and specialty garden tours are available by appointment through the horticulture department. For more information, visit EdisonFord.org.
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates, at 2350 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers.