The ghost orchid is an extremely rare, epiphytic orchid that grows without leaves on the trunks of trees in a very small concentrated area of Southwest Florida. The plants are usually only visible to those who must hike through hip deep water in the area’s cypress, pop ash and pond apple sloughs to reach them. Another of the rare ghost orchids was also recently spotted in the Big Cypress National Preserve just south of Naples, Florida. It’s exact location will never be made public.
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The rare ghost orchid grows on an ancient bald cypress trees at Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary near Naples, Florida and grows without leaves. It is in bloom for the third consecutive summer, this time with ten buds that will likely produce blooms visible from the Audubon sanctuary’s boardwalk through the end of July and perhaps well into August. Blooms are difficult to see with the naked eye, so binoculars are recommended.
This particular plant has been named “Super Ghost” because it bloomed three times in the summer of 2007, the first time with 12 blossoms, the second time with 10 and the third time with three.
Last year, it bloomed again three separate times. Typically a ghost orchid would bloom once a year, if at all.
People are fascinated by orchids, and the ghost orchid is one of the rarest specimens.The appeal of this particular orchid is that it can be viewed from the public boardwalk at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, just north of Naples , Florida.
For those interested in coming to see the ghost orchid, many Naples and Everglades City area hotels are offering special rates and packages especially for ghost orchid enthusiasts.
Serious photographers should bring powerful telephoto lenses, as the plant is growing at a height of about 45 feet on the trunk of a bald cypress tree located 150 feet from the boardwalk.
D.K. Christi, a Southwest Florida author, wrote a great book around this spectacular flower.
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