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  • The sparse-flowered bog orchid is an easily overlooked, water-loving orchid with tiny green flowers most often found in wetlands, bogs and marshes. It can be found in most of the western United States with the exception of Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming and can be easily confused with the the many other species of green-flowered Platanthera orchids. Luckily, this species has a sort of "pinched" look to the flowers that all other closely-related species lack. This one was found growing in a wet peat bog with pitcher plants just north of the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon.
    Sparse-flowered Bog Orchid (Platanth..a)-3
  • The sparse-flowered bog orchid is an easily overlooked, water-loving orchid with tiny green flowers most often found in wetlands, bogs and marshes. It can be found in most of the western United States with the exception of Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming and can be easily confused with the the many other species of green-flowered Platanthera orchids. Luckily, this species has a sort of "pinched" look to the flowers that all other closely-related species lack. This one was found growing in a wet peat bog with pitcher plants just north of the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon.
    Sparse-flowered Bog Orchid (Platanth..a)-2
  • The sparse-flowered bog orchid is an easily overlooked, water-loving orchid with tiny green flowers most often found in wetlands, bogs and marshes. It can be found in most of the western United States with the exception of Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming and can be easily confused with the the many other species of green-flowered Platanthera orchids. Luckily, this species has a sort of "pinched" look to the flowers that all other closely-related species lack. This one was found growing in a wet peat bog with pitcher plants just north of the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon.
    Sparse-flowered Bog Orchid (Platanth..a)-4
  • The sparse-flowered bog orchid is an easily overlooked, water-loving orchid with tiny green flowers most often found in wetlands, bogs and marshes. It can be found in most of the western United States with the exception of Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming and can be easily confused with the the many other species of green-flowered Platanthera orchids. Luckily, this species has a sort of "pinched" look to the flowers that all other closely-related species lack. This one was found growing in a wet peat bog with pitcher plants just north of the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon.
    Sparse-flowered Bog Orchid (Platanth..a)-1
  • Also known as a giant orchid - this terrestrial orchid looks like anything but and orchid. Many of the ones I've photographed have been about 40-50 inches tall on average.
    Crestless Plume Orchid (Orthochilus ..tus)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • Bumblebees are one of the primary pollinators of the western rattlesnake plaintain orchid, such as this one found deep in a forest in Alberta's Canadian Rocky Mountains. The flowers of this common orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The giant rattlesnake orchid - the most frequently encountered orchid I've seen so far in the state of Washington in bloom on Mount Rainier. I've seen these orchids from the lowlands near the Puget Sound to almost the tree-line in the Cascades Mountains. While the leaves are beautifully patterned and evergreen, the flowers are quite simple and white.
    Western Rattlesnake Orchid (Goodyera..lia)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The tall northern white bog orchid is a fragrant water-loving orchid found across all of Northern North America. This one was growing in a bog on the north face of Washington's Mount Rainier.
    Tall White Northern Bog Orchid (Plat..ata)
  • The African spotted orchid, also known as the monk orchid, has its roots in Africa, from where it is believed it was accidentally or unknowingly brought to Florida. It has also been found in many parts of Puerto Rico.
    African Spotted Orchid (Oeceoclades ..ata)
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The terrestrial cowhorn orchid found growing in the Fakahatchee Strand - in full flower weeks before it was stolen from the wild. This is why I no longer tell anyone where the rare orchids are - this happens all too often! They are too hard to find, and very disheartening when they are taken - usually to die in some orchid enthusiast's collection because it has been shocked by its removal from the conditions in which it grew from seed.
    Yellow Cowhorn Orchid (Cyrtopodium p..lum)
  • Side view of the ghost orchid. The five to six inch spur is a long hollow tube that contains the nectar which draws the giant silk moth. This unique moth has a six inch tongue that while reaching the bottom of the spur to feed, some pollen from the flower's anther will stick to the head of the moth, and then get transfered to the next ghost orchid it feeds on. While visiting several flowers during the course of a night - it unknowingly pollinates these flowers to produce the next generation of ghosts. Without this special moth, we would have no ghost orchids.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • The cranefly orchid growing near the Florida-Georgia border. These perfectly camoflaged orchids have one of the most interesting life-cycles found among Florida's native orchids.
    Cranefly Orchid
  • This highly camoflaged orchid is nearly impossible to see in the wild. They blend in perfectly with their surroundings, and if the buds are hard to see because of their tiny size, the half-inch flowers reflect enough light to blend in with the dappled sunlight of the forest floor.
    Cranefly Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. ThThis one was found and photographed in Waterton Lakes National Park in Southern Alberta, Canada. See how the flowers at the bottom of the stalk are already beginning to brown and fade as the upper ones haven't even opened yet?
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • A vibrant and healthy non-blooming specimen of the giant rattlesnake orchid growing in a damp forest near Enumclaw, Washington. Orchids are most well-known for their beautiful and exotic flowers, but this one has beautiful variegated leaves that outcompete the drab, tiny white flowers that will appear in late summer.
    Western Rattlesnake Orchid (Goodyera..lia)
  • Lawn orchid found growing in Fort Myers, Florida but not in a completely wild location. This one along with about five others appeared in one of my cultivated orchid pots on my front porch!
    Lawn Orchid (Zeuxine strateumatica)
  • Ribbon orchid growing on the side of a tree deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. Without leaves to help spot it, this orchid is nearly invisible until it blooms. This one is just starting to bloom.
    Ribbon Orchid (Campylocentrum pachyr..zum)
  • A very large (for this tiny orchid) and mature jingle bell orchid with seedpods. How tiny are these orchids? The trunk the roots are clinging to is about one and a half inch thick.
    Jingle Bell Orchid (Dendrophylax por..tus)
  • Spectacular specimen of yellow helmet orchid in an isolated pond in Collier County, Florida. These orchids are usually found in wetlands with lots of shade.
    Yellow Helmet Orchid (Polystachya co..eta)
  • Yellow helmet orchid growing in Monroe County off of Loop Road in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Prepare to go into the water to see these orchids!
    Yellow Helmet Orchid (Polystachya co..eta)
  • The green-fly orchid in Juniper Springs, in the Ocala National Forest. Where the butterfly orchid is most common in the trees of South Florida, this more cold-tolerant epiphyte occupies the same niche in the north part of the state, with an overlapping area in Central Florida.
    Green-fly Orchid (Epidendrum magnoli..iae)
  • Butterfly orchid growing in a tree in Lee County, Fl. This is by far the most commonly encountered epiphytic orchid found in South Florida.
    Butterfly Orchid (Encyclia tampensis)
  • The thing about this particular orchid (and several other distantly related terrestrial orchids) is that it is nearly invisible - even in front of you.
    Cranefly Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These slightly fading flowers were found and photographed in Waterton Lakes National Park in Southern Alberta, Canada.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • This incredible orchid has a long history of being taken from the wild for the orchid trade. There are stories of single plants weighing hundreds of pounds being pulled out of the Everglades by the wagon load. These days, small ones are difficult to find.
    Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)
  • The fantastically mottled and twisted flowers of the cigar orchid in a massive display deep in the Big Cypress National Preserve. This is by far the largest one I've found, and hopefully will provide plenty of seeds for this orchid to recover after decades of poaching.
    Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)
  • Although not truly native, this naturalized orchid can be found in just about every wooded area in South Florida.
    African Spotted Orchid (Oeceoclades ..ata)
  • The green-fly orchid in Juniper Springs, in the Ocala National Forest. This is the most common epiphytic orchid in the northern half of Florida, and can be found most often near springs, sinkholes, or old forests.
    Green-fly Orchid (Epidendrum magnoli..iae)
  • The western rattlesnake plantain orchid is a very common and often overlooked beautiful orchid found across all of the western provinces and states on North America (excluding Nevada) and is found natively in all of the eastern Canadian provinces and  reaches south into both Michigan and Maine that is generally associated with conifer forests and mountains that have abundant, deep leaf litter or moss. This one was found growing among many thousands of others blooming in northern Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The western rattlesnake plantain orchid is a very common and often overlooked beautiful orchid found across all of the western provinces and states on North America (excluding Nevada) and is found natively in all of the eastern Canadian provinces and  reaches south into both Michigan and Maine that is generally associated with conifer forests and mountains that have abundant, deep leaf litter or moss. This one was found growing among many thousands of others blooming in northern Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The southern white fringed orchid (Platanthera conspicua) is another of the delicate, feathery terrestrial orchids found along the Gulf Coastal Plain upwards along the Atlantic Coast into Canada where it is still sometimes found in Quebec. Usually associated with wet meadows, ditches and low pinelands, this incredibly beautiful and perfect specimen of its species was found along with about a hundred others in northeastern Florida's Osceola National Forest near some equally beautiful pitcher plants.
    Southern White Fringed Orchid (Plata..cua)
  • Close-up of the tall northern white bog orchid. These orchids can grow over three feet/one meter tall and are often found in huge colonies, the bright white beautiful in contrast against the color of the green bogs or wet meadows where they are most often found.
    Tall White Northern Bog Orchid (Plat..ata)
  • Close-up of the flower of the Pott's giant orchid.
    Pott's Giant Orchid (Pteroglossaspis..sii)
  • Yellow cowhorn orchid found in the Fakahatchee Strand by another orchid enthusiast, and he told me where to find it. This plant was stolen from the wild a couple of weeks later by some lowlife.
    Yellow Cowhorn Orchid (Cyrtopodium p..lum)
  • The unmistakable variegated leaf of the African spotted orchid. The underground pseudobulb is partially exposed for this shot.
    African Spotted Orchid (Oeceoclades ..ata)
  • A very rare sight!!! Although the ghost orchid is known as a "leafless orchid" - when it is just sprouting its recognizable  and distinct roots on its host tree, there is a tiny vestigial leaf - an evolutionary throwback to an earlier ancestor.
    Ghost Orchid Seedling (Dendrophylax ..nii)
  • Ribbon orchid growing on the side of a tree deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. Without leaves to help spot it, this orchid is nearly invisible until it blooms.
    Ribbon Orchid (Campylocentrum pachyr..zum)
  • Close-up of a cluster of yellow helmet orchid flowers in an isolated pond in Collier County, Florida. These orchids are usually found in wetlands with lots of shade.
    Yellow Helmet Orchid (Polystachya co..eta)
  • The clamshell orchid is one of the most beautiful of all of Florida's native orchids, and can flower for a very long time. This is one of those orchids that if you see one in flower, you are likely to see a lot more in the surrounding trees, as they tend to grow in huge colonies.
    Clamshell Orchid (Prosthechea cochle..dra)
  • Bronze green-fly orchid in bloom on a fallen oak tree next to the Hillsborough River near Tampa, Florida. These can often be found in dense hardwood forests near natural springs or rivers.
    Bronze Green-Fly Orchid (Epidendrum ..num)
  • This jaw-dropping super-rare color form of the butterfly orchid was found in a dead oak tree knocked over by Hurricane Wilma in the CREW Marsh Hiking Trails of northern Collier County, Florida. Had it not been for the hurricane, I never would have stumbled into it!
    White Butterfly Orchid (Encyclia tam..bia)
  • How it gets its name. In the summer, these orchids lose all their leaves, and the result looks like a clump of cigars attached to the base of a tree or cypress knee. This massive cigar orchid is the biggest I've ever seen!
    Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)
  • Beautiful pink flowers with a deep burgundy lip make this recent discovery to the orchid world a pleasure to see in the wild.
    Pott's Giant Orchid (Pteroglossaspis..sii)
  • Ghost orchid in the early morning, catching a rare sunbeam in the deepest part of the Fakahatchee Strand. Truly one of the most beautiful and exotic orchids in the world.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • This orchid was found by a friend of mine in the Everglades National Park, who asked me to identify it for him and sent me the GPS coordinates. I rarely do this, in my determination to find the orchids I photograph myself, but sometimes there are exceptions - mainly because I hadn't yet seen the other rare vanilla he thought it might be. The distinct orange leafless plant was a dead giveaway to the worm-vine, or leafless vanilla. This flower was almost opened, but not quite.
    Worm-vine Orchid (Vanilla barbellata)
  • Close-up detail of a ghost orchid bud at night in the Fakahatchee Strand! Probably not recommended for the bravest of orchid hunters, the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida is an especially busy time at night! This bud opened a few days later.
    Ghost Orchid Bud
  • Ghost orchid bud I was monitoring over the space of a couple of weeks deep in the Fakahatcheee Strand. Luckily they are hard to find and grow in often difficult-to-access areas. Out of the 88+ individuals I've found over the years, many of them have been stolen by orchid poachers.
    Ghost Orchid with Bud
  • Ghost orchid bud at night in the Fakahatchee Strand! Probably not recommended for the bravest of orchid hunters, the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida is an especially busy time at night! This bud opened a few days later.
    Ghost Orchid with Flower Bud
  • Successfully pollinated and fruiting seedpods of the nearly impossible-to-find and leafless ribbon orchid. Not only is this orchid extremely rare in the United States, it is only found in one tiny pocket of one remote part of the Northwestern Florida Everglades known as the Fakahatchee Strand, which is its northernmost range This one was photographed deep in the Strand while standing about waist-deep in the black, slowly-moving waters deep in the shadows of ancient bald cypress trees. Luckily, it can also be found in parts of the Caribbean islands, Central America, and even in some parts of Northern South America.
    Ribbon Orchid Seedpods
  • Lawn orchid photographed on the edge of Loop Road, deep in the Big Cypress National Preserve.
    Lawn Orchid (Zeuxine strateumatica)
  • Close-up of water-spider flowers growing in a ditch in Liberty County, Florida. This orchid is most often found among reeds and wetland grasses, and is very easily missed.
    Water-Spider Orchid (Habernaria repens)
  • Raceme close-up showing details of the flowers of the toothpetal orchid - one of the most common terrestrial orchids in the southen half of Florida.
    Toothpetal Orchid (Habenaria floribunda)
  • The brightly yellow fringeless orchid growing in a seepage swamp in Liberty County. This is one of the more rare orchids of North Florida.
    Yellow Fringeless Orchid (Gymnadenio..gra)
  • Perhaps the most delightful orchid to encounter in the swamps, this wildly shaped flower can often be found in huge colonies, if one doesn't mind wading to reach them. Luckily, these are usually found over permanently standing water, often with alligators and cottonmouths in the area. This is a great deterent to keep poachers away!
    Clamshell Orchid (Prosthechea cochle..dra)
  • The clamshell orchid gets its name from the upper lip, which is shaped a bit like a clam's shell, but I think it looks more like an octopus! This one was in a swamp near Immokalee, Florida.
    Clamshell Orchid (Prosthechea cochle..dra)
  • Unusual angle of a wild blooming ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) photographed from behind the flower on Florida's Fakahatchee Strand on a steamy hot summer morning.
    Ghost Orchid Photographed from an Un..e #1
  • The western rattlesnake plantain orchid is a very common and often overlooked beautiful orchid found across all of the western provinces and states on North America (excluding Nevada) and is found natively in all of the eastern Canadian provinces and  reaches south into both Michigan and Maine that is generally associated with conifer forests and mountains that have abundant, deep leaf litter or moss. This one was found growing among many thousands of others blooming in northern Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • Among the most common of the Pacific Northwest's orchids, this green summer bloomer is easily confused with a dozen others that are found in similar habitats.  Only the "scrotum-like" spur is a key identifier for this sup-alpine, water-loving orchid.
    Slender Bog Orchid (Platanthera stricta)
  • A close-up  of a very wide-stalked, many-flowered specimen of a slender bog orchid found growing on Mount Hood in Oregon.
    Slender Bog Orchid (Platanthera stricta)
  • A close-up of a cigar orchid flower against a black diffuser (a photographer's tool for adjusting natural light) in the Big Cypress National Preserve.
    Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)
  • The highly rare and unusual green form of the leafless beaked orchid found in a secret location. This one blew us away! It was unusually large, as well as different from all the other normal ones nearby.
    Leafless Beaked Orchid (Sacoila lanc..dis)
  • A ghost orchid high in a pop ash tree in a secret location in Collier County. It's good to know that they do in fact grow quite well outside of the Fakahatchee Strand and the Corkscrew Swamp!
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • A ghost orchid high in a pop ash tree in a secret location in Collier County. It's good to know that they do in fact grow quite well outside of the Fakahatchee Strand and the Corkscrew Swamp!
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • Ghost orchid in full flower on a drab stalk growing from a tangle of green-gray roots. See how the flower just seems to float in mid air?
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • Ghost orchid photographed on a steamy hot summer morning in the Fakahatchee Strand. Split-toned sepia for an antiqued look.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • The rare and exquisite ghost orchid photographed just after dawn in its natural environment.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • Ghost orchid photographed on a steamy hot summer morning in the Fakahatchee Strand. Not particularly hard to find once you know how to find them, they can be as invisible as ghosts to most people! At last count I'm up to 86 ghost orchids in various locations.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • A very healthy example of a toothpetal orchid growing along a tram road in the Fakahatchee Strand. I can't think of a tram road in Southwest Florida where I haven't seen these orchids in late fall to late winter.
    Toothpetal Orchid (Habenaria floribunda)
  • A snowy orchid growing in the acidic soil of a seepage bog in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Snowy Orchid (Gymnadeniopsis nivea)
  • A very large fringed orchid growing in a ditch in the Goethe State Forest in Levy County, Florida.
    Orange Fringed Orchid (Platanthera c..ris)
  • A single flower of the three birds orchid singled out, showing the other two wilted flowers still on the stalk.
    Three Birds Orchid (Triphora trianth..ora)
  • The Chapman's fringed orchid found growing in a quiet untouched area in North Florida while searching for pitcher plants. This unexpected find was a pleasant surprise and also one of the biggest of this kind I've ever seen.
    Chapman's Fringed Orchid (Plantanthe..nii)
  • A massive specimen of the Chapman's fringed orchid in the Apalachicola National Forest growing next to a small water pool in the edge of a pine stand. These are quite difficult to find, and I've only found them in two locations so far. Luckily you can see the bright orange from a long distance!
    Chapman's Fringed Orchid (Plantanthe..nii)
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