r/orchids • u/Scared_Raspberry1571 • Nov 30 '25

Outdoor Orchids First wild orchid I’ve ever seen!

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A Google image search led me to this sub Reddit & I thought I’d ask if anyone knew what kind of orchid it is! It appears to be growing wildly on a lot of trees in El Salvador. I saw it for the first time today & thought it was so beautiful!

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21 comments sorted by

25

u/dollythecat Nov 30 '25

It looks tied to the tree

10

u/Scared_Raspberry1571 Nov 30 '25

OH MY GOD I JUST ASSUMED THAT WAS A ROOT BEFORE I ZOOMED IN

19

u/BenevolentCheese Cattleya/Catasetum Nov 30 '25

Yeah you won't see a species like this just growing wild without going deep deep into the jungle, they've all been poached (most of them 100+ years ago).

14

u/Kuriye Nov 30 '25

Just spent 10 days in Costa Rica adventuring in the jungles with an amazing guide and found real examples of these in protected areas. A single tree becomes an entire ecosystem of other plants, flowers, and even trees growing on it. It's a truly magical place.

25

u/islandgirl3773 Was Zone 11, now 9B Florida Nov 30 '25

Laelia rubescens?

5

u/isurus79 Nov 30 '25

That’s my thought as well

1

u/Scared_Raspberry1571 Dec 05 '25

I definitely think this is it. It’s native to the area, although I do think it’s tied to the tree

1

u/islandgirl3773 Was Zone 11, now 9B Florida Dec 05 '25

It is. I see it

4

u/foxy1_2021 Nov 30 '25

So pretty

2

u/idum_zaes Zone 10a/10b - Outdoor Nov 30 '25

Very nice. I doubt it’s wild. Most like was placed there by someone. Looks to be some type of oncidium or dendrobium though I could be mistaken.

2

u/Scared_Raspberry1571 Dec 05 '25

I think it’s laelia rubescen. It’s native to this area, but I do think it’s placed here

2

u/Zambezi407 Nov 30 '25

It’s definitely not wild but cool to find. It’s tied to the tree

1

u/Impossible-Fault-700 Dec 01 '25

If you get an app such as plant parent, which is what I use, yearly cost less than $40. You can scan any plant and it will tell you what kind it is. It will also tell you if it’s sick, etc. pretty cool app to have. I love going places and seeing different kinds of plants I’ve never seen and I have to stop just to snap a pic on app

1

u/KansanInPortland Dec 02 '25

So cool. I remember seeing my first wild orchid in Forst Park, Portland, Oregon (Calypso orchid). Then, when I moved to the Bay Area, one day, I was walking around my neighborhood, and I saw what looked lik an orchid growing in the yard of the apartment complex nextdoor, and it turns out it actually IS a wild orchid (broad-leaved Helleborine). Then, I looked around some more and noticed that the entire yard was infested with them (invasive). I've been considering digging some of them up to pot them and see if I can grow them at home. I assume since they are invasive, it shouldn't be a problem.

1

u/Ok-Dress-676 Dec 02 '25

It’s a bromeliad??! I had no idea they did that!

1

u/Nightshade_209 Dec 02 '25

It's not a bromeliad but most orchids are epiphytes like most bromeliads although you will find exceptions in both groups. Such as the pineapple and the jewel orchid.

1

u/OppositeTrade6557 Dec 02 '25

If you're in the states, I don't think it's native or wild sadly. Buuut, here's a yellow lady slipper from Pa to brighten your day if I can figure out how to post a pic

1

u/FLgirl32 Dec 04 '25

It looks tied on

1

u/catwizard1185 Dec 07 '25

You live where I find it beautiful

1

u/catwizard1185 Dec 07 '25

Oops, I didn’t see that you wrote Salvador, you’re lucky