An exciting new addition to the display greenhouse is the cork tree, an educational and entertaining exhibit. The artificial tree is covered with flowering orchids, bromeliads, ferns, vines and other epiphytes, to illustrate for our visitors how these plants grow in their native habitat.  The cork tree is located just inside the south entrance to the greenhouse.

HOME

Take a Closer look! You may be wondering how such a seemingly large, mature tree came to be in our relatively young greenhouse.  The simple answer: we built it!   This large epiphyte tree is actually constructed from more than 180 feet of PVC plastic pipe, more then 600 pounds of real cork bark, and countless screws!  The bark that you see comes from a real tree, Quercus suber, which is commercially grown in Spain and Portugal.  The bark is harvested from mature trees approximately every ten years, leaving the tree unharmed.  The bark you see here was attached to the PVC frame like a huge 3-D puzzle, providing a great habitat for many lovely epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, ferns, and cactus.  For more information and pictures click on our website and choose "Cork Tree Project". http://www.orchidweb.org/aos/ImageGallery/

NEXT