Epiphytes, or air plants, grow everywhere but can be found mainly on the branches, trunks, and even the leaves of trees. The name 'epiphyte' comes from the Greek word 'epi' meaning 'upon' and 'phyton' meaning 'plant'.
Different types of epiphytes may grow on the same tree, including orchids, cacti, lichens, mosses and ferns. They begin their life in the canopy from seeds or spores transported there by birds or winds.