Endangered Native Orchid Collection at the Estates
By Karen Maxwell, Horticultural Specialist
The Florida Everglades is home to more native orchids than anywhere else in the continental United States. Of the original 39 species, four are now extinct and the rest are endangered. Plants, however, do not know state, national or even international borders, so their natural range may extend beyond Florida and in most cases, these orchids are still listed as secure across this range. However, we do not know this for sure, and it is important for us to recognize that due to over collecting, many of the remaining native orchids are indeed on the Threatened or Endangered List in their native Florida habitats. As Florida grew in the 1800s and the rail lines were extended south, orchids were the first natural resource found in Florida to be exploited. Today, collecting wild orchids is strictly prohibited in Florida.
Edison and Ford Winter Estates is proud to announce that they are partnering with the University of Florida/ IFAS Immokalee Station, Southwest Florida Research & Education Center or IFAS/SWFREC for short, to introduce some of these threatened or endangered orchids to our property. It is our hope that through this partnership in conservation, some of the most beautiful plants on the planet will be able to happily grow here for future generations of our community to enjoy.
To date, we have received four such orchids, each with a challenging tale of pollination and habitat requirements. As all of these orchids are young, we have had to use the photographs of previously grown specimens. In this issue, we are giving credit to these photographers for their work.
The first specimen, Vanilla dilloniana, commonly known as the leafless vanilla orchid, is one of four Florida native vanilla orchids. Almost everyone is familiar with the flavor vanilla, which is extracted from the bean of pollinated Vanilla panifolia orchid flowers – this is known as commercial vanilla, the only edible orchid. As the most important flavoring, economically speaking, in the world, and the second most expensive spice behind saffron, today the bulk of production comes from Mexico and Madagascar. Since Florida can offer a similar habitat to these two countries, why isn’t Florida farming vanilla? The brief answer is V. panifolia must be pollinated by a bee, or by hand.
Vanilla panifolia begins life as a terrestrial orchid that attaches to a tree and wants to zig-zag to great heights, where humans cannot reach. To manually pollinate these flowers, the height must be limited and the obvious labor costs to hand pollinate each vanilla flower makes this technique cost prohibitive here in Florida. Native to Mexico, the Bahamas, Cuba and the Yucatan, Vanilla panifolia was probably brought to Florida by Native Americans in pre-Columbia times. Botanists at the University of Florida’s Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead, Florida are currently studying the ability to cross the commercial vanilla orchid plant with a Florida native species which by their existence have proven their ability to endure the wide swings of South Florida’s climate.
In the wilds of the Yucatan, Vanilla panifolia is pollinated by the Melipona Bee, also known as the Stingless Bee. As their habitats and populations are threatened by many factors, it stands to reason that the availability of wild V. panifolia is also compromised. Unless … researchers are able to hybridize the V. panifolia with a native Florida vanilla, which is pollinated by the beautiful Euglossine bees, orchid bees, or hover bees as they are also known. These long-distance pollinators could assist botanists in developing a commercial vanilla and thus a valuable agricultural product for our state.
Sadly, it is generally the economics of sustainability or future agricultural value that drives the resources toward the much-needed research of these dedicated botanists, and “bee” that as it may, it is exciting to think that someday our newly acquired native Vanilla dilloniana may be part of a very important breakthrough in the second-most valuable spice in the world.
“Grow Fort Myers” will be held here at the Estates on Saturday, April 9 and we are excited to announce that the day’s programming will begin with a presentation of orchids by the renowned botanists and researchers from the University of Florida/IFAS. In addition to Vanilla dilloniana, Edison Ford will receive a Latin American Orchid, also called the Florida Dancing Lady (Oncidium ensatum). Known for its super long eight-foot floral inflorescence, this is the only Oncidium native to North America. It is endangered in our state of Florida, though secure in other areas of its indigenous zone, which includes the Bahamas and the Yucatan, as far as we know. Oncidium ensatum grows happily as either an epiphyte (in a tree) or as a terrestrial orchid (in the ground) in rich humus in dry hammocks. The yellow flowers with brown spots may appear any time throughout the year, but most predictably between May and August. This orchid is pollinated by the male oil collecting bees that mistake the large spray of flowers for a foreign bee swarm. The third endangered native to be offered will be the Spotted Mule Eared Orchid, native to Florida, the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America. The Trichocentrum undulatum is endangered in its Florida habitat, like the others, due to over collecting from the wild.
The wandering centris bee, endemic to southern-most Florida is responsible for pollinating the T. undulatum. It s almost as much fun to learn about the bee pollinators as it is these orchids and the wandering centris is no exception. It is commonly known as the Florida locust berry oil collecting bee and in its search for food, pollinates these flowers. T. undulatum is epiphytic like most orchids, but it may also be lithophytic, meaning to grow on rocks, particularly limestone. It sends out an arching spike of yellow flowers, up to three meters long.
Finally, Edison Ford will also be the new home of a Cow-horned Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum), frequently called the cigar orchid. Its native range from Southern Florida extends to Argentina, though in Florida, it is listed as endangered. This one can grow to be an enormous orchid of many pseudobulbs with very sharp points, and it is generally dormant from November through March, so we are acquiring this one on the cusp of its spring growth period. A massive orchid, its popularity can be attributed to a spectacular inflorescence which may include up to 500 flowers! It has been intensely (and illegally) collected from the Everglades, so we are very pleased to be able to provide a new venue for the Bee Swarm Orchid. Like Vanilla dilloniana, the Cow-horned orchid is pollinated by a species of the Euglossine bee and, as with the Spotted Mule Eared Orchid, the Wandering Centris bee is also a contributing pollinator. This epiphytic orchid likes rough-barked trees, such as a buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) or Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) where it can bask in all-day sun, remain significantly dry in winter and receive daily moisture during its April through October growing season.
Like all natives, once they have successfully established in their new location and if they are provided with a congenial habitat, none of these native orchids will require any fertilizer or additional maintenance. In the meantime, the Horticulture Department, under the leadership of Debbie Hughes, will be baby-sitting these young plants to provide them with a suitable home and raise them to mature blooming specimens. We want future generations to be able to see these beautiful native orchids and not have to reminisce about them in a florilegium.
The Punta Gorda Connection
By Chet Wallace, Site Historian
the Punta Gorda Hotel
Punta Gorda is a city of about 20,000 inhabitants, and geographically located about 40 minutes north of Fort Myers. The town was a stopping point for many on the way to Fort Myers, including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone. These men traveled into the Punta Gorda train depot from up north and stayed at the Punta Gorda Hotel across Tamiami Trail from the depot.
When Edison first arrived in Southwest Florida in the mid-1880s, Punta Gorda only had about 250 residents. The Punta Gorda Hotel was one of the first buildings constructed in the town and opened in January of 1888. It was a three-story building with 150 rooms, designed in the Queen Anne architectural style and faced the Charlotte Harbor, looking toward Port Charlotte across the Peace River. It stood within the empty lot of what is now surrounded by northbound Highway 41, W. Marion Avenue, Taylor Street and W. Retta Esplanade.
During its first season, it served more than 3,300 guests. The hotel had modern fixtures of the time such as gas lighting, electric bells, steam heat and open fireplaces. The grounds were landscaped with camphor trees and palms. The hotel attracted such famous dignitaries as Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Theodore Roosevelt, John Wanamaker, and family members of the firearms manufacturer Samuel Colt.
During the early 1900s the hotel experienced a period of decline. Ownership changes occurred and in 1924, the Florida land developer, Barron Collier acquired the hotel. He renamed it Hotel Charlotte Harbor and expanded the grounds for beautification. Collier installed stucco on the exterior of the building, added a fourth-floor ballroom, new tennis courts, a boat basin, a 176-foot-by-80-foot swimming pool, and arches to the porches, giving the hotel a look of Spanish Eclectic style. Under Collier’s leadership, the hotel flourished but it went through hard times during the Great Depression. In 1944, Collier sold the hotel and then in the mid1950s it was briefly turned into a health spa called the Charlotte Harbor Spa. The building was destroyed by fire in August of 1959. The flames were so massive that they could be seen on the horizon in Fort Myers. Punta Gorda’s second railroad station was a stopping point where many famous people came through on their way to South Florida, including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone. When the Collier bridge was built across Charlotte Harbor in 1931 for automobile traffic, the station went into decline and was briefly used as a bus station. The Punta Gorda station was torn down in 1967. The hotel stands on the site of where Punta Gorda’s second train depot existed, in which Edison, Ford and Firestone arrived from New Jersey by train.
When Edison arrived in Punta Gorda, he enjoyed visiting with a telegrapher by the name of Willie White. She was a well-known citizen of Punta Gorda because of her intuition with Morse Code and sent many of the telegrams going in and out of Punta Gorda for years. When Edison visited Willie, it was usually at Punta Gorda’s Dade Hotel, which housed the Western Union office in 1887. According to the Charlotte Harbor history book about Edison and Willie White, When he (Edison) was known to be on the train, the Fort Myers steamer was held for him. Edison knew this but always dreamed up an excuse for an urgent telegram to keep the boat waiting while he visited Miss Willie. As a former telegrapher himself, Edison watched with admiration while Miss Willie clicked off his messages. Undoubtedly Miss Willie worked her key with extra speed on those occasions in order to impress the great inventor.
According to one source, Edison said “Operators like you and me are not made, they have to be born.”
Miss Willie was pleased by the adulation of Edison and looked forward to his visits. Besides the flattery of his attention, she was intrigued by the fact that Edison always seemed to be wearing the same gray suit “which the train trip had done nothing for whatsoever.”
Edison had a connection with the second bridge built over Charlotte Harbor on the Tamiami Trail at Punta Gorda. The first bridge built across the harbor was opened in early July of 1921. The bridge was poorly built, and the concrete was made mostly of beach sand and harbor water with inferior concrete. Salt in the mixture eventually eroded the reinforcing rods and large chunks of concrete broke away from the structure over a short period of time. Because of this and increasing automobile traffic, a second bridge was needed.
The second bridge was constructed where the first one existed and was completed in early June of 1931. Thomas Edison was one of the first people to cross it. John Hagan, Jr. was the official driver to be in the first car to cross the bridge. On June 14, Edison was driven across by Hagan, along with Mina, Charles, and his wife Carolyn. Thomas Edison passed away on October 18, 1931.
Celebrating Mrs. Clara Ford
Clara Ford
Born April 11, 1866, Clara Bryant was the third of 10 children and grew up on a farm in rural Michigan. She attended school until the age of 17 and shared similar childhood experiences as her future husband, Henry Ford. Meeting for the first time at a New Year’s dance in 1885, they appreciated each other’s serious and ambitious natures. Henry especially liked Clara’s fortitude and self-confidence. After courting for more than two years, Henry and Clara were married on her birthday in 1888. Later in life, Henry was quoted in the New York Times Magazine as saying, “the greatest day of my life was when I married Mrs. Ford.” They had one son, Edsel, in 1893 and together built a strong family nucleus that later sustained them during Henry’s early years in the automotive industry. Nicknamed the “great believer” by Henry, he valued her unfailing support and welcomed her advice on many business matters.
“Her strong leadership qualities, steadfastness and passion” helped advance various philanthropic initiatives and social reform projects for women. Serving as president of the Women’s National Farm & Gardens Association from 1924-1932, she initiated a “Roadside Market” campaign that inspired women from rural parts of America to sell their own home-grown produce at roadside harvest centers, which allowed them to generate their own income. During America’s Great Depression she promoted and encouraged the idea of creating urban gardens amongst staff at the Ford Motor Company. Through her efforts of curtailing hunger and helping those in need, Clara donated food produced by Bryant family farms to several institutions on a weekly basis.
By the 1910s, she had become a vocal proponent for the woman’s suffrage movement by providing both financial and moral support as well as opening her home, Fair Lane, for meetings and cause-related events. She was eventually selected to serve as Vice Chair for the Equal Suffrage League of Wayne County, Dearborn chapter. In 1921, Clara was invited to serve as a Director on the Michigan League of Women Voters organizational board. Serving in various leadership positions, her primary mission was focused on creating and funding programs centered around women’s rights, such as those aimed at building self-reliance, expanding educational opportunities, and providing better healthcare.
Clara’s ultimate passion, however, was horticulture and she hired famed landscape architect, Jens Jenson, to totally transform Ford’s Fair Lane estate in Dearborn, Michigan. Jenson carved out a pond, created orchards, designed a beautiful grotto, and a formal garden space. Furthermore, mindful of Clara’s ornithological interests, Jensen selected plants that would provide ample food, nesting areas, and protection. He eventually placed some 500 birdhouses around Fair Lane. She later commissioned rosarian, Harriett Foote, and landscape architect, Herbert Kellaway, to establish a large formal rose garden (approximately five acres). It featured more than 350 varieties and nearly 10,000 roses. Although much smaller in size, Ford’s Fort Myers estate features antique and heirloom roses of the 1920s era, adapted to Florida’s climate. Clara’s favorites were yellow and white tea roses, and these can be viewed from the front porch of their winter estate.
The proud and resilient Ford matriarch passed away on September 29, 1950, leaving behind an understated, albeit, strong and important legacy built around improving the lives and welfare of women and those considered less fortunate.
Clara’s other notable accomplishments:
• Established Vista Maria, a school and outreach program to help Detroit’s young women in need
• Founded the Henry Ford School of Nursing and Hygiene, a program that taught women nursing skills (Tuition-free Program)
• Founding President of the Dearborn Garden Club (1915-1920)
• Her financial support helped build the Piney Ridge School & Home to help homeless African American children in Mississippi
• Provided financial support to small liberal arts colleges: Berry College, Vassar, and Radcliff
By Matt Andres, Curatorial Registrar
