St Lucia Rainforest
Most of the trees in the Rainforest have some sort of epiphyte living on them. Some of the most attractive tree trunks have been home for climbers for some time, like these beautiful specimens:
Rainforest Hike
It was good for there to be lots of things to look at as some parts of the hike were quite challenging, especially at one point when we were faced wth a seemingly endless set of steps that had been cut into the path near the top of the ridge. We walked for a good 5 hours in total so be prepared with some food, water and sun cream if you intend to do the same.
Tropical Rainforest Flowers
Whilst it was the dry season and as such the flowering plants were not at their peak, there had been a sudden downpour which invigorated the plants just in time for our day in the rainforest. You could almost feel the plants soaking up the water as you walked around in complete tranquility. Here are 2 of the beautiful flowering plants we encountered on our hike.
Humid and Fertile
The floor of the rainforest is covered in leaves at varying stages of decomposition. The structure of the soil is perfect as a result of all this leaf mould and the moist, humid conditions at the rainforest floor make it perfect for plants to get a good hold on life and put on some solid new growth. This new fern frond is testament to the perfectly tropical conditions at the rainforest floor.
Smaller Plants
Whilst the Tree Ferns and larger trees are the most dramatic inhabitants of the rainforest, there are many smaller plants that deserve merit. Cat’s Whiskers, Lichens and many Ferns add a soothing background from which the larger plants can stand out.
