MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Twenty thousand rare orchids are being planted throughout Miami Beach as part of a program restoring native plants to suburban Florida landscapes.
The Miami Herald reports (https://hrld.us/2tdIFHI ) that the first cowhorn orchids were tied to a tree Friday outside City Hall. The orchid plantings will continue over the next three years.
The plantings are part of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s Million Orchid Project. Seedlings are grown in labs and transplanted into trees throughout Miami’s suburbs. Conservationists hope the program revitalizes native plants nearly wiped out by development and orchid collectors.
Since 2014, about 85,000 orchids have been replanted in public spaces by volunteers, students and scientists.
In Miami Beach, residents will be asked to monitor the orchids in their neighborhoods with an app developed at Florida International University.
___
Information from: The Miami Herald, https://www.herald.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.