A gardener's path, P.1: Studying plants in the wild

Hoya imbricata appears to dislike company plants and grows frequently in open situations. Photographed in Ilocos Norte

Upon graduation from college, my first job was that of an assistant landscaper, and for my first salary I bought a book on, what else, houseplants. I also remember buying a Jewel Orchid (Ludisia discolor), but most of my other purchases were not plants, but books. In these books, I was introduced, not just in matters of plant cultivation, but plant genera and species I wasn't yet aware of at that time; I recall being particularly fascinated by Amorphophallus and orchids. A year later and I moved to the province, where there are still good patches of natural habitat left, although in many cases disturbed by human activity in various levels of degradation. Nevertheless, I have been fortunate to have made friends with similar free-spirited attitudes, and not long after we were beginning to explore our environs. An overwhelming thrill permeated- now I can see my favorite plants in the wild. From the first book I bought, I became acquainted with the genus Hoya, and in the riverine forest where a number of subsequent expeditions have been mounted, I saw my first Hoya species in the wild, which turned out to be, after later researches, the common and widespread H. camphorifolia. These festooned a large tree and many stems dangled above the flowing river, with pink flowers that are tiny yet intricate. These blooms have a sourish scent and last for only one day. Two more hoyas were found, H. meliflua, with its large and coriaceous leaves and pink flowers drenched orange by its copious nectar, and the lithophytic H. madulidii, with chocolate-scented, dark flowers. Orchids were rather common, but not all were of course found on the first trip. Eventually, we found the horticulturally important Ascocentrum aurantiacum subsp. philippinense (It has since been moved to Vanda, which I do not follow), Bulbophyllum whitfordii, Cymbidium finlaysonianum, Grammatophyllum multiflorum fma, tigrinum, and Phalaenopsis equestris, as well as such botanical orchids as Cleisostoma uraiense, Hetaeria longifolia, Nervilia pudica, Pomatocalpa bicolor, and a species of Vanilla which I have never seen in flower. In all, I counted and identified a total of 31 orchids from that small area, which became my training ground in the formative years of my early forays into the world of botany. Additionally, two Amorphophallus have since been found, including one which still awaits formal description to this day.

Spathoglottis chrysantha is often a difficult orchid to cultivate. Its preference for mafic soils probably explains why. Photographed in Zambales

 Nepenthes burkei is said to occur at altitudes from 1000-1600 m asl. This one was found at 900 m. The species is restricted within the mossy forests and will languish when maintained in consistently high temperatures. Photographed in Oriental Mindoro

Alocasia sinuata grows on limestone rocks with very little decomposed organic matter. This explains why there are reports of gardeners having more success with this species when much of the potting soil had already been washed off out of the drainage holes. Photographed in Samar.

In the succeeding years, I have had the opportunity to wander even further and see more plants in their natural habitats, and there have been instances when those that I have found have since been described as new or were reported as new records for the Philippines. Little did I know that I have become a field botanist, but one with gardener's yearnings and leanings. And from all these travelings I gained insight into the world of plants that one cannot obtain in books. From most gardeners' perspective, learning involves reading every available, relevant literature as well as observing and experimenting. And yet, I believe that an important facet had to do with actually seeing and observing plants in their natural state. I have seen heated debates on how a particular group of plants is ought to be grown, with those involved offering wandering and irrelevant information to back up their claims. The risk here is that novices are easily swayed by flowery and lurid information, however grossly inaccurate, and such misinformation eventually gets circulated as truth. But because such pieces of information are wrong, more pseudo-intellectuals crop up, muddying matters even more.

Above and below: Many Begonia species favor moist substrates, and many books do suggest that their soils should be maintained accordingly. Both the Begonia from section Petermannia above, which is a still undescribed species, and B. nigritarum below, do like moist 'feet', but both grow on steep rocks which drain excess moisture quickly and leave the roots to dry out a bit. During the dry season, B. nigritarum dies back as dormant rhizomes. Both plants were found in Laguna.

Granted, not all of us have the physical or financial capability to hike three hours up to a steep mountainside from some remote location to find and take notes of plants, but there are many field reports out there- in printed materials, in the web, on Youtube. You just have to know what to look for. Sure, it is often not easy to find what you need, but as the Good Book said, "seek and ye shall find". And there are also people who make exploring for plants a lifestyle- you can ask them too. It is alright to ask other gardeners and plant producers of their approaches, but sometimes, what works for them may not work for you. There are so many factors involved on why this is so. And my suggestion, therefore, is for you to make your own research, but direct that effort into learning about a plant's ecology as well as its physiology, first and foremost. Find out their names and do not be intimidated by those scientific names; whereas common names may refer to different plants, scientific names only point to one and therefore makes your researching way easier. And do not forget to cross-reference everything- do not place your trust from a single source. If something is amiss, you will see it. Keep in mind that sound information is corroborated by other sources. If there is a dissenting voice, consider that as your cue to look at the matter very closely and make your own research. And lest I forget, allow me to state here that the farther the cultivation practice is from what is natural for the plants, the greater the likelihood that that approach is bound for failure. But that statement does not apply to hybrids, man-made cultivars, and cultigens.

Many books and websites advocate a continuously moist substrate for oberonias, but growers persistently kill these plants when such advice is given. Oberonia lycopodioides often grow on exposed tree branches with little plant competition except for thin mats of mosses. Photographed in Laguna.

Bulbophyllum is a very large genus of orchids filling very many ecological niches. Generalize and you will surely fail. This clump of Bulbophyllum from section Aphanobulbon climbs up a coconut tree in full sunlight. Photographed in Laguna.

Terrestrial orchids from the genera Crepidium, Dienia, and Malaxis are often said to grow on moist leaf litter in deep shade. This Crepidium bancanoides was photographed on loose leaf litter above limestone rocks, where it gets filtered sun. Limestone is permeable and does not hold much moisture. Photographed in Quezon.

Above and below: ant plants from the lowlands favor more vegetated situations, but highland species can thrive in very exposed locales, nourished by daily mists. Plant above is Myrmecodia tuberosa, while the ones below may belong to the genus Myrmephytum. Plant above was photogrpahed in Quezon, while the one below was found in Ifugao.

The genus Agalmyla consists of root climbers that are often overlooked until they send out their vibrant flowers on long peduncles. This is obviously an adaptation to attract nectar-seeking birds. Agalmyla chorisepala, which I found on Mindoro, is pictured here.

Impatiens platyphylla, as well as other truly rainforest species in the genus, prefer high rainfall areas. Failure to provide high ambient humidity and moisture around the roots will result in dessication. Photographed in Davao Oriental.

Amorphophallus adamsensis growing on a slope along a river embankment. During periods of high rainfall, great volumes or rainwater are easily drained down into the river below. This species, as well as the closely related A. dactylifer (I think the two are one and the same, but that is another story), are also found on level ground but are less frequent there compared to the ones found on slopes. Photographed in Ilocos Norte.

One of the joys of finding plants in the wild is that there is always the possibility of meeting species when you least expect them. Pictured here is Licuala spinosa, which I found on Palawan.

It has been seventeen years since I walked into that riverine forest and marveled at the diversity around me. That is also seventeen years of finding plants, photographing them, taking notes, and writing articles and undertaking lectures to disseminate the information to the general public. And yet, I do not consider myself an expert at anything, not even a master gardener. There is still so much to be seen, learned, and realized. But I am steadfast in my belief: to become a good gardener, one needs to direct his eyes into the wilds. And let it teach you a thing or two.

I once posted this photo of Gymnocalycium ragonesei on social media, and someone had the temerity to use the same photo, without permission, to advance his idea that this same plant is improperly grown due to its brown coloring, pupping, and the algal colony around the base, while expounding on his ideas of general plant physiology. Unfortunately, general plant physiology does not apply to all plants. If only this person allowed himself to look for photos of the same species in the wild and brushed up on cactus ecology and physiology, he wouldn't have placed himself in an embarrassing situation. The screenshot below is from the online journal Schuetziana (Vol. 8:1, 2017), illustrating a G. ragonesei in the wild: 

Sure, this specimen does not fit our idea of what this species should look like. But while aesthetic opinions differ, would it be not out of place if we ask ourselves if we are rebelling against nature?