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Council greenlights Fairchild feasibility study for 'Million Orchid' plantings in Homestead
Summary
The council authorized a feasibility review with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden to identify high‑visibility city sites for phased orchid plantings and community education; Fairchild plans volunteer and student engagement and will return with a costed proposal.
Council approved a resolution directing city staff to work with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden on a feasibility study for the Million Orchid Project in Homestead. Fairchild representatives explained the program — which has already reintroduced hundreds of thousands of orchids into public landscapes statewide — and emphasized educational and workforce elements: students conduct micropropagation in labs, learn horticultural skills and later see their plants installed in public locations.
Staff identified candidate corridors, medians and public parks for early phases and agreed to return with a prioritized list and cost estimates. Fairchild said the initiative is flexible and can be phased; the organization will engage volunteers, schools and municipal teams for installation and maintenance training.
