There are many epiphytes in the trees of the tropics. These plants need no soil. All of their water and nourishment comes from the air or from materials caught in the nooks or crannies of their tree hosts far above the forest floor. Orchids, ferns, mosses and bromeliads can decorate the trees' branches to such an extent their combined weight is often equal to one-third the total weight of the tree. They provide many hiding and breeding sites for small insects and frogs. Some of these animals live their entire lives in these aerial gardens, never touching the ground.
