Hardy
Terrestrial Orchids
Including
Aplectrum, Bletilla, Goodyera, Platanthera, Spiranthes, and Tipularia
|
The orchid family
is truly huge, and growing daily as new hybrids and crosses continue
to be cranked out by breeders. Most of this activity is taking place
among tropical orchids. These are epiphytes (growing in trees, not
in the ground), and they're plenty spectacular, but they don't tell
the whole orchid story. There are many orchids that grow in the ground
in temperate, often quite cold, regions. On the whole, the flowers
of these terrestrial types are not as large and showy as those of
their tropical cousins, although some of them hold up pretty well.
Most are small, rather modest plants that often go unnoticed in North
American woodlands. Although they mostly don't yell "LOOK AT
ME!" from a block away, many are certainly worth closer inspection.
There's a story about a Japanese architecht who acquired a building
site well-known for its spectacular view. Everyone was excited to
see how he incorporated it into the home he built. When guests arrived,
however, they were baffled by the fact that the view was screened
by foliage--until they bent down to ceremonially clense their hands
at a basin near the entrance. Only when in a posture of humility was
the view visible. Similarly, some of these exquisite wildflowers are
best viewed from one's knees.
IMPORTANT
NOTE: if you are not experienced in growing woodland orchids, start
with Bletilla or Spiranthes, move up to Aplectrum and Goodyera, and
wait on Habenaria and Orchis . The latter are delicate and can be
difficult.
|
|
|
Aplectrum
hyemale is an American native orchid that grows as far north
as southern Ontario and Quebec, east to Maine, south to Georgia, and
as far west as western Arkansas and Nebraska. It's called both Adam
and Eve Orchid and Putty Root. The former name comes from
the fact that the old root (Adam) gives rise to the new root (Eve),
and then continues to hang around. The latter name references the fact
that early settlers used a secretion from the root as glue for pottery
and other materials. An oddity about this plant is that it sends up
a pretty, upright, ribbed leaf in the fall, and this remains through
the winter, dying in the spring. There's then a dormant period before
flowering. The flower itself is spurless (without plectrum = Aplectrum)
and greenish yellow, infused with purple, borne on a 1' spike. Zone
3
|
|
Bletilla
striata is perhaps the best known of the hardy terrestrial orchids,
and among the largest and showiest, growing 1-2' tall and spreading
in a patch equally wide. In spring and early summer, they produce stalks
of 1" magenta, distinctly orchid-like flowers, up to 12 per stalk.
Bletillas are native to China, Japan, and Taiwan. Zone 5.
|
|
Bletilla
striata 'Innocence' Like the above, but with flowers that are
usually pure white, sometimes tinged lavender. Zone 6.
|
|
|
The
Giant Stream Orchid, Epipactis gigantea is also known
as the Chatterbox Orchid or Helleborine. It may grow
to 3' tall, but will take quite a few years to reach that height. The
colorful burgundy-striped green flowers appear on plants less than a
foot tall. This orchid occurs mainly west of the Rockies, from British
Columbia to Texas, along streams or in other wet, shady places. Not
as well known as eastern orchid species, but attractive, vigorous, and
relatively easy to grow. Zones 4-9, Canada to Texas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Goodyera
pubescens is the eastern US version of Rattlesnake Plantain.
The leaves are slightly smaller, more rounded, a bit lighter in
color, and not wavy. The variegation is perhaps a bit more subtle because
the lighter leaf color offers less contrast. Grows throughout much of
the eastern US and southern Canada. Zone 5.
|
|
|
Platanthera
blephariglottis, White Fringed Orchid is another eastern wild
orchid, with a range from Ontario south along the eastern seaboard to
Maryland. This plant is threatened in at least part of its natural range.
It inhabits damp meadows and acid bogs, preferring hummocks raised above
the water level. It likes more sun that most orchids, taking full sun
in sufficiently moist soil. The pretty, snow-white flowers look like
birds in flight, and are pollinated by night-flying moths. Spikes to
perhaps 1', usually smaller. Zone 3.
|
|
|
Habenaria
(Platanthera) ciliaris Yellow Fringed Orchid. Despite its common
name, the flowers on this species seem to me distinctly orange, not
yellow. Endangered in at least some of its range, this orchid stands
1-2' tall, with abundant 3/4" flowers on a long spike. It inhabits
bots, moist meadows, and open woods where it can get a few hours of
sun. It grows from Florida to New Hampshire, and east to Missouri, zones
5-9.
|
|
Orchis
spectabilis, Showy Orchis, is little known and seldom
seen, probably because it tends to hide in deep woodland ravines.
It's a small plant with broad, 4"-long leaves and a flower spike
that doesn't usually exceed 6". It's a real little charmer, though,
with its lavender-pink and white open-mouthed flowers that are pollinated
by bumblebees. Mainly a resident of the Appalachians, it will range
as far north as Pennsylvania, zone 5.
|
|
| Spiranthes
cernua 'Odorata'
is a variety of Nodding Ladies' Tresses, a fall-blooming ground
orchid ranging across the eastern half of the US, from Canada to Florida.
Grows to about 3 feet tall, with 3 to 6 glossy, dark green leaves up to
8 inches long on the lower part of the stem. Its white blossoms are larger
than those of the species. Like other members of the genus Spiranthes,
the flowers of this species are arranged in a twisted, spiral-shaped spike.
Members of the species are called Nodding Ladies Tresses because of the
nodding habit of the individual florets that make up the flower spike.
Potent, sweet fragrance is often compared to that of vanilla or jasmine.
Will take considerable sun, but afternoon shade is best, with well-drained
but moist soil. Zone 4
|
|
|
Tipularia
discolor, Cranefly Orchid, is notable in that it actually seems
to be expanding its range. Because it has large, leathery, upright leaves
that last through the winter, it is sometimes mistaken for Aplectrum
hymelae, above, but while the Aplectrum has silver-veined leaves,
Tipularia has leaves with usually-purple raised spots and beet-purple
undersides. The leaves die back in spring, and flowering is in midsummer.
Flowers are on tall, 15-20" spikes. The flowers are asymmetrical
and in shape of a small cranefly or very large greenish-purple mosquito.They're
quite pretty but so subtle that they're easily missed in the wild. A
woodland species that requires rotted wood and leaves in its growing
bed. Native to most of the eastern US, zones 5-9.
|
|
| |
|
