Tropical High Elevation House

Many plant families, including orchids, reach their highest level of diversity at high elevations in tropical mountains. Between 4,000 and 6,000 feet (1.2-1.8 km) above sea level, these chilly tropical forests look and feel different from the warmer lowlands. These habitats are colder, mistier, and covered in mosses and miniature orchids. Plants from three tropical montane regions are highlighted in this greenhouse: the Andes Mountains, the tepuis of southern Venezuela, and Borneo’s Mount Kinabalu.

Mount Kinabalu
At 13,435 feet (4 km) tall, Borneo’s Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea. Its slopes are home to thousands of plant species found only on Mount Kinabalu, including many orchid, Rhododendron (Ericaceae), and carnivorous plant species. Half of the world’s Nepenthes (Asian tropical pitcher plants) are found in Borneo, many on Mount Kinabalu. Nepenthes produce short, broad pitchers on the ground to catch ground insects, while leaves higher on the stem grow funnel-shaped pitchers to catch flying insects.

The Andes Mountains
Forming the world’s longest continental mountain range, the Andes Mountains stretch for over 4,350 miles (7,000 km) through South America. Over half of the Andes’ plant species can only be found there, including orchids, neotropical blueberries, bromeliads, and aroids. The Andes are some of the most biodiverse areas in the world. For example, the Andean country of Ecuador has over 4,000 native orchid species, while Georgia– similar in size but located in North America–has fewer than 100 native orchid species.

Tepuis
Tepuis (teh-poo-ees), the Amazon’s tabletop mountains, stand over 9,000 feet (2.7 km) above sea level. Once underwater islands, these sandstone masses rose ove billions of years due to erosion and uplift. Each tepui is so isolated that unique species have evolved on each of them over time. Over 4,000 plant species only occur in the tepuis, including Heliamphora nutans, a carnivorous pitcher plant called a “sun pitcher.”