Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk - Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia

Epiphytes - plants that grow on other plants

Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants but do not harm them. They also grow on rocks. Unlike parasitic plants that feed directly on the host tree, epiphytes obtain their nutrients from fallen leaves and other organic debris caught in the bark of trees, and from the air. The epiphytes in this forest consist of ferns, orchids, mosses and lichens.