LTC 289-2018 Fairchild Garden_s Million Orchid ProjectMIAMIBEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
LTC #
289-2018
LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of th:' City Com Fission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: May 21, 2018
SUBJECT: Fairchild Garden's Million Orchid P • ject
The purpose of this Letter to Commission is to provide information on the City's second planting
of Florida Native Orchids as part of its continued efforts with Fairchild Tropical Botanical
Garden's Million Orchid Project. The event will take place from 9:OOam - 12:OOpm Monday June
4, 2018 at the Normandy Fountain on 71st Street.
The Million Orchid Project seeks to reintroduce highly endangered Florida native orchids into
urban areas throughout Miami Dade County. South Florida was once an orchid paradise which
quickly dwindled in the late 1800's when flowering orchids were ripped from the trees and
packed into railroad cars to be shipped to northern cities as potted plants. In an effort to keep
the iconic and beautiful native orchids from extinction, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden is
working to reintroduce the plants into our urban landscapes by propagating millions of seedlings
for future placement in street trees, parks and schools. The Million Orchid Project, facilitated by
Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, is a project intended to allow discoveries and research for
developing strategies to reintroduce the rare plant.
On September 2015, the City of Miami Beach adopted resolution number 2015-29135 which
approved funding for the City to participate in the program as soon as October 2015. However,
the orchids were not available to the City until 2017. The Ceremonial Planting of Florida Native
Orchids took place on June 16, 2017 at City Hall. During the course of 2018 the City will receive
a total of 5,000 orchids (mixture of tree and ground species) delivered in batches of 500 per
week, which will be planted by City staff at various locations Citywide. Miami Beach's orchid
installation effort will span three (3) years, with plantings starting during the beginning of the rainy
season each year.
Staff is very excited about this partnership with Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, and the
opportunity to help bring this initiative to fruition by having orchids adorn the trees and palms
throughout our City and furthering the survival of these species.
Should you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Rodney Knowles
at (305) 763-7000 Ext. 6311.
JLM/ETC/RC/JR/RK
Attachment: Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden Million Orchid Project Overview
Cc: Eric Carpenter, Assistant City Manager
Roy Coley, Public Works Department Director
John Rebar, Parks & Recreation Department Director
Rodney Knowles, Greenspace Management Division Director
PROJECT OVERVIEW
South Florida was once an orchid paradise, with a rich variety of tropical orchids
growing naturally on the branches of every tree. In the late 1800s, as the Florida East
Coast Railroad extended southward, orchids were among the first natural resources to
be exploited. Flowering orchids were ripped from the trees and packed into railroad
cars, destined to be sold as disposable potted plants in northern flower shops. Orchid
populations dwindled rapidly, and now our iconic native orchids exist in such small
numbers that they have little hope of recovering on their own.
With the help of students, volunteers, and local communities, Fairchild Tropical Botanic
Garden (Fairchild) is working to restore some of South Florida's rare and endangered
orchid species into our urban landscape. For two years, the Micropropagation
Laboratory at Fairchild, and K-12 schools in Miami, have been generating large
quantities of native orchid plants from seed. We are now propagating eight species of
native orchids with the goal to re-establish them within South Florida's landscapes,
around schools, on street trees, and in city parks. The Million Orchid Project is unique in
its scale, its exclusive focus on public landscapes, and its involvement of the local
community from the beginning. Today, our region has countless suitable landscape
trees for orchid reestablishment in schoolyards, roadways, and other public spaces. We
expect to reestablish orchids in a wide variety of local urban settings, especially in the
places where people live, work, and learn.
At its core, The Million Orchid Project is a massive science experiment that allows us to
make important discoveries about how native orchids grow and reproduce. Additionally,
the science of The Million Orchid Project may help us develop more general strategies
for rescuing rare plants within a highly developed urban environment.
Orchid Installation Plan (3 yrs. - 3 phases):
Site assessment and application approval:
- Preliminary site assessment to be conducted by Fairchild Garden staff
- Preparation of proposal package (following site assessment)
- Site approval and memorandum of understanding, contracts
- Sow seeds for planting years 2 & 3
- Schedule ceremonial planting
- Initiate formal plan for 3 yrs. distribution and installation
- Recruitment of community members/volunteers for plantings
*Recruitment to be coordinated by participating organizations
Ceremonial & Year 1 plantings (Jun. —Sept. 2017; 1000-1500 orchids):
- Ceremonial planting; typically 4hrs and 250-500 plants installed.
- Training of personnel by Fairchild garden staff during the ceremonial planting.
*Training will cover: installation, maintenance, and associated outreach and
research opportunities.
- Plant distributions for year 1; typically 2-3 additional deliveries of 250-500 plants*
-Yearly site assessment to be completed by Fairchild staff
Year 2 plantings (Jun. —Sept. 2018; 5,000-10,000 orchids):
- Plant distributions for year 2; 5-10 deliveries of 1000 plants*
- Yearly site assessment to be completed by Fairchild
- Develop long term goals
Year 3 plantings (Jun. —Sept. 2019; 5,000-10,000 orchids):
- Plant distributions for year 2; 5-10 deliveries of 1000 plants*
- Yearly site assessment to be completed by Fairchild
- Develop long term goal, monitoring (if applicable)
*Plants will be delivered by Fairchild Staff. Participants are responsible for the installation
of all orchids following the initial ceremonial planting and training. Selection of species
and planting locations are subject to approval by Fairchild staff
Tree orchids:
Cyrtopodium punctatum (Florida cowhorn or cigar orchid)
Distribution: Florida to Mexico and south to Argentina
Flowering period: March -June (7-10 years to maturity)
Growth habit: Grows on tropical hard wood trees. Native trees include buttonwood, live
oak, bald cypress, and cabbage palm. A mass of cigar -like pseudobulbs can grow up to
1.5 meters across and an individual plant can produce more than 500 flowers. In Florida
this orchid is highly endangered. Intense collecting pressure during the last century has
greatly impacted populations of this orchid and illegal collection continues to be a
threat.
Encyclia tampensis (Florida butterfly orchid)
Distribution: Bahamas, Cuba, and Florida.
Flowering period: May -August with a peak in June. (3 yrs. To maturity)
Growth habit: In Florida this orchid grows on a wide variety of native trees including
live oak, slash pine, red maple, gum, bald cypress, buttonwood, pop ash, and pond
apple. Forms dense clusters along horizontal branches.
Ground orchids:
Bietia purpurea (Pine pink)
Distribution: Florida, West Indies, Central America, and northern South America.
Flowering period: December to March (1 yrs. to maturity)
Growth habit: This orchid grows in open habitats or shade. Bietia purpurea is
considered threatened in Florida.
Oncidium ensatum (Florida Oncidium or Dancing Lady)
Distribution: Tropical America, the Bahamas and extends into southern Florida.
Flowering Period: All year; primarily May- August (1 yrs. To maturity)
Growth habit: Found in terrestrial habitats of rich humus in relatively dry hammocks, or
as epiphytes at the base of cypress trees in wet forests.
More species information available at: http://goorchids.northamericanorchidcenter.org/