Cranefly Orchids – Tipularia discolor

© 2011 Patty Hanknis

The same day I photographed the Yellow Fringed Orchid – I also found a photographed a second native orchid – the Cranefly Orchid (tipularia discolor). Cranefly orchids are one of three members of the tiularia genus. The other two species are native to Japan and the Himalayas.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

The Cranefly orchids are one of the most unusual native orchids I’ve ever seen. Its shades of green, purple and brown make it very hard to spot in the woods. What fascinated me about the orchid is the way the spurs of the flowers cross and created amazing patterns.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Cranefly orchids emerge as a single green glossy leaf  in the fall that last through the winter. In the spring, the leaves die back and a stem emerges that blooms in the summer. The purple stems grow up to 60 cm tall with greenish brown flowers. The flowers are about 1 cm across and tilt to one side or the other – which facilitates pollination by noctuids moths.  The pollen attaches the moths eyes as it visits the plants.

Native to much of the Eastern and Southern United States, they are listed as threatened or endangered in Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan and New York. They prefer to grow in forests with moist soil.

More information about cranefly orchids can be found at

Connecticut Botanical Society

Flora of North America

Florida’s Native and Naturalized Orchids

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Missouri Plants

USDA Plant Profiles

Wikipedia

Fragrant Ladies’ Tresses – Spiranthes odorata

While exploring the Conservatory at Longwood Gardens on a recent visit, I was amazed to come across some Fragrant Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes odorata) growing beneath the ferns. Ladies’ Tresses are a native orchid, which I’ve never seen growing indoors. They are a fall blooming orchid – that can grow from Eastern Canada and south along the East Coast of the US.

This first photo – taken in the Longwood Conservatory – shows the plants with some blossoms flowering, and some not yet open. It gives a nice view of the structure of the plant.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Later the same day, as I was photographing some of the leaves in Pierce’s Woods at Longwood Gardens, I spotted a few Fragrant Ladies’ Tresses growing under some trees and along the stream. As I looked more closely – I discovered there were several groups and even a few large patches of the native orchids growing in the same area. Here are some of my favorite photos of the Fragrant Ladies’ Tresses.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

A few closeup photos showing details of the plants

Two stalks with a full set of blossoms

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

One of the blossoms

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

View from above showing the spiral stalk and flower pattern

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

As I was photographing one last set of Ladies’ Tresses, a large bee flew over and started exploring the plants. One of the Longwood’s educational themes this year has been pollinators – this bee certainly was paying attention and was busy polinating the flowers while searching for nectar.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Finding and photographing the Fragrant Ladies’ Tresses was definitely one of the highlights of my visit to Longwood Gardens. Now that I know what they look like, and where they’re likely to be growing, I’ll keep my eye out for more of these wonderful native orchids.