Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • Perhaps the most beautiful of North America's threatened carnivorous plant species, the white-topped pitcher plant is native to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and the western tip of North Carolina. This surprising find in Georgia's Grady County is possibly the part of the state's easternmost population, and covered a very rural area in a pine forest no bigger than an acre.
    White-topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracen..lla)
  • This distant relative to the pineapple is endangered in the wild in North America. Confined to a few remaining counties in locations far out into the Florida Everglades and Puerto Rico, it is listed as a threatened species. Major concerns for this species are habitat loss and an invasive exotic weevil (Metamazius callizona) found in South Florida that kills it. Luckily this species is also native to Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia, where populations are more stable. This one was photographed in SW Florida's Fakahatchee Strand. Look closely and you will see it sharing a limb with native zig-zag orchid (Epidendrum rigidum) in this submerged pond apple tree.
    West Indian Tufted Airplant (Guzmani..hia)
  • The large whorled pogonia is one of the few orchids I've invested a massive amount of time looking for ranging nearly a decade, and have never seen it in flower. This one was photographed as part of a colony in a secret location and is perhaps the only colony in existence in the state of Florida. The usual range starts in Georgia and continues up the East Coast into Canada. One of these days I'll replace this photo of one in bloom.
    Large Whorled Pogonia (Isotria verti..ata)
  • These tiny-flowered members of the Spiranthes orchids are found in summer growing in dry sandy areas. These were photographed near Lake Talquin in Gadsden County.
    Little Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes t.. - 3
  • These tiny-flowered members of the Spiranthes orchids are found in summer growing in dry sandy areas. These were photographed near Lake Talquin in Gadsden County.
    Little Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes t.. - 2
  • These tiny-flowered members of the Spiranthes orchids are found in summer growing in dry sandy areas. These were photographed near Lake Talquin in Gadsden County.
    Little Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes t.. - 4
  • The Texas indigo snake is currently considered a subspecies of the Eastern or Florida indigo snake and is found in Texas and down deep into Mexico. This beautiful specimen was found resting in a Christmas cactus where it had plenty of shade from the Texas summer sun in the very southern tip of the Lone Star State.
    Texas Indigo Snake
  • One of the most unusual plants I've ever seen, the copper ladies-tresses orchid literally looks like it could be made out of copper. Extremely rare in the United States and almost impossible to see in the dark, remote forests where they are found, this tiny terrestrial orchids can be found only in a few scattered locations in Florida, but is much more common in the Caribbean Islands. This one was found (and almost accidentally stepped on) in rural Central Florida.
    Copper Ladies'-Tresses (Mesadenus lu..nus)
  • The rare and exquisite ghost orchid photographed just after dawn in its natural environment.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • 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 #2
  • 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
  • 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
  • This nice specimen of Spiranthes praecox - the giant ladies' tresses orchid was found growing near the Ochlockonee River close to Sopchoppy, Florida. Found throughout most of the American southeast and west to Texas and Oklahoma, this terrestrial orchid is found most often in late spring and early summer in a variety of habitats. I've found them in acidic bogs on occasion, but usually I find them growing in pine forests.
    Giant Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes pr..cox)
  • The Oregon forestsnail (not forest snail) is a long-lived, slow-moving animal that is food for many other animals and is found in the western part of Oregon and Washington states, north into extreme southwestern British Columbia - where it is listed as an endangered species (and is listed as vulnerable for the US). This one was found just on the western side of the Cascade Mountains in King County, Washington.
    Oregon Forestsnail (Allogona townsen..ana)
  • This massive yet common airplant in the wilder parts of the Florida Everglades blooms in the winter among the cypress groves and hammocks of the swamps.
    Cardinal Airplant
  • Three of the ten "first year" whooping cranes flying to their wintering grounds in St. Marks - part of the extensive efforts of Operation Migration.
    Whooping Cranes in Flight!
  • Photographed from above in the Estero Bay Preserve, the wild coco is one of the most spectacular and common terrestrial orchids to be found in Southern Florida.
    Wild Coco Orchid (Eulophia alta)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • Wild coco growing in the Estero Bay Preserve in Lee County, Florida. This classic roadside orchid is regularly found in fall and winter, and can reach up to three feet in height.
    Wild Coco Orchid (Eulophia alta)
  • 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)
  • Beautifully colored form of the wild coco orchid. This one was found growing next to a ditch in Charlotte County, Florida.
    Wild Coco Orchid (Eulophia alta)
  • A location in Lee County has well over a hundred of these unusual tall orchids growing in two distinct colonies. The location will remain undisclosed as these orchids are becoming very rare at an alarming rate.
    Crestless Plume Orchid (Orthochilus ..tus)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • Unusual "double-stalked" woodland ladies'-tresses found in full flower in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson County, Florida.
    Woodland Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes..ica)
  • This orchid always eludes me, but this evening I found two, but I was too early by about a week to see it in flower. There is always next year ....
    Spurred Neottia (Eltroplectris neottia)
  • In this particular very isolated location in North Florida, I found about fifty-five of these rare orchids.
    Southern Oval Ladies'-Tresses (Spira..lis)
  • Close-up of the delicate flowers and gentle twist up the flower spike.
    Southern Oval Ladies'-Tresses (Spira..lis)
  • Close-up of the very rare speckled ladies'-tresses in full flower in the CREW Marsh Hiking Trails in Collier County, Florida.
    Speckled Ladies'-tresses (Cyclopogon..des)
  • Lawn orchid photographed on the edge of Loop Road, deep in the Big Cypress National Preserve.
    Lawn Orchid (Zeuxine strateumatica)
  • Lace-lipped ladies'-tresses flowering near the edge of a lake in Punta Gorda in Charlotte County, Florida.
    Lace-lipped Ladies'-tresses (Spirant..ata)
  • Giant ladies'-tresses found growing in a dried-up bog in the Apalachicola National Forest. Tubular flowers are a key to identifying this species from all the other similar ladies-tresses orchids.
    Giant Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes pr..cox)
  • Fragrant ladies'-tresses deep in a slough in the Big Cypress National Preserve. It's tough travel through these flooded forests, but many kinds of orchids can be found here together.
    Fragrant Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes..ata)
  • The wonderfully scented Spiranthes odorata growing in shadows of Goethe State Forest in Levy County, Florida.
    Fragrant Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes..ata)
  • Fragrant ladies'-tresses deep in a slough in the Big Cypress National Preserve. I have seen literally hundreds of these in dense areas of thes swamps. Be prepared to walk in ankle-deep flooded forest in November and December!
    Fragrant Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes..ata)
  • Costa Rican ladies'-tresses hidden deep in the Florida Everglades. These tiny orchids are nearly impossible to find among the hardwoods.
    Costa Rican Ladies'-tresses (Beloglo..sis)
  • Close-up of these tiny tropical orchid's flowers.
    Costa Rican Ladies'-tresses (Beloglo..sis)
  • The flowers of the copper ladies'-tresses have the most unusual metallic sheen, something I've never seen in my life. These tiny flowers are about 4-5 millimeters wide, and macro photography was needed here with a ring flash.
    Copper Ladies'-Tresses (Mesadenus lu..nus)
  • This incredibly small orchid is next to impossible to find. In fact, it's one I thought I might never find, but I stumbled into while looking for caves in the Withlacoocheee State Forest in Central Florida near the river of the same name.
    Copper Ladies'-Tresses (Mesadenus lu..nus)
  • These tiny-flowered members of the Spiranthes orchids are found in summer growing in dry sandy areas. These were photographed near Lake Talquin in Gadsden County.
    Little Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes t.. - 1
  • Close-up of the hairy shadow-witch orchid.
    Hairy Shadow-Witch Orchid (Ponthieva..osa)
  • The brilliant and fuzzy leafless beaked orchid growing in Charlotte County, Florida in a stand of young pine trees. We found an unbelievable number of these all over Southwest Florida this spring and summer. They seem to be thriving in this drought!
    Leafless Beaked Orchid (Sacoila lanc..ata)
  • 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)
  • Photographed from above - these woodland orchids are beautiful!
    Hairy Shadow-Witch Orchid (Ponthieva..osa)
  • 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)
  • Close-up of the delicate fragrant ladies'-tresses found growing in Goethe State Forest, Florida.
    Fragrant Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes..ata)
  • The hard-to-locate Wister's Coralroot is not only tiny, but blends in perfectly with the forest colors. This one was found growing in a patch of palmettos in Central Florida.
    Wister's Coralroot (Corallorhiza wis..ana)
  • Close-up with details of Wister's coralroot flowers.
    Wister's Coralroot (Corallorhiza wis..ana)
  • One of america's most endangered birds..... this image is featured in the National Audubon Society's 2011 Calendar.
    Whooping Crane
  • 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)
  • Close up of the tiny jingle bell orchid. This is the largest one of these I have found to date, and I repeated the five mile hike from the road about a half dozen times until this 3mm flower bud finally opened for this photograph!
    Jingle Bell Orchid (Dendrophylax por..tus)
  • 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)
  • View of this tiny leafless orchid with flower buds. The only way to find these in the wild is to look for these long tangling roots.
    Jingle Bell Orchid (Dendrophylax por..tus)
  • The world-famous ghost orchid photographed here in its natural environment.
    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 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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • Close-up side view of one of the world's most famous orchids!
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • A rare sight! A pair of ghost orchids from a single plant, high in a pop ash tree in a secret location in Collier County, Florida.
    Double Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax li..nii)
  • The rare and exquisite ghost orchid photographed just after dawn in its natural environment.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • These three orchids were part of a much larger colony of about 100 plants found in the Apalachicola National Forest. Incredible yellow color!
    Yellow Fringeless Orchid (Gymnadenio..gra)
  • 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)
  • The leaves of Craighead's noddingcaps are very distinct, and easily identified - green on top, and purple underneath.
    Craighead's Noddingcaps (Triphora cr..dii)
  • A snowy orchid growing in the acidic soil of a seepage bog in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Snowy Orchid (Gymnadeniopsis nivea)
  • This is one of those orchids that  I just can't seem to get the timing right on catching it in flower. Shown here is the split seedpod, with all seeds already blown away by the wind.
    Craighead's Noddingcaps (Triphora cr..dii)
  • 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 colony of three birds orchids accidentally stumbled into in a dense forest in Suwannee County, Florida.
    Three Birds Orchid (Triphora trianth..ora)
  • This odd looking orchid is very common in Southwest Florida and for years I didn't even know it was an orchid, but rather some strange fungus in my flowerbeds. The gentian noddingcaps flourishes in damp eucalyptus or cypress mulch - where summer rains keep it hot and steamy.
    Gentian Noddingcaps (Triphora genian..des)
  • 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)
  • Craighead's noddingcaps just about to bloom. The heart-shaped leaves have a rich, velvetly purple underside - a key identification factor in these tiny and very rare terrestrial orchids.
    Craighead's Noddingcaps (Triphora cr..dii)
  • 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)
  • Close-up of toothpetal flowers deep in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Oftentimes, it is the fragrance that is noticed before the plant is actually found, as in the case here.
    Toothpetal Orchid (Habenaria floribunda)
  • The brilliantly pink rose pogonia orchid growing wild in Goethe State Forest in Central Florida.
    Rose Pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides)
  • Close-up of this beautiful and strange flower. These are not commonly found in Florida. I've only found them among palmettos in pine scrubs, and only on three occasions.
    Michaux's Orchid (Habenaria quinqueseta)
  • Full plant close-up showing the distinctive pair of leaves present during flowering.
    Southern Twayblade (Neottia bifolia)
  • 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)
  • The delicate and tiny southern twayblade orchid in full bloom in Goethe State Forest. The reddish brown coloration of this winter bloomer makes an already small terrestrial orchid hard to find among the fallen leaves.
    Southern Twayblade (Neottia bifolia)
  • A green southern twayblade with another new plant just sprouting in Levy County, Florida.
    Southern Twayblade (Southern Twaybla..dis)
  • Close up of the fertilized flowers of the zig-zag orchid, or rigid epidendrum, photographed from the boardwalk in the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples, Fl.  These flowers have been self-fertilized and still retain the flower after the fruit is set.
    Zig-Zag Orchid (Epidendrum rigidum)
  • Close-up of a freshly opened flower in the Fakahatchee Strand. This is probably the most common of all the orchids here, often found high in the trees in enormous clumps.
    Zig-Zag Orchid (Epidendrum rigidum)
  • Wide angle shot of a section of a huge cluster of green-fly orchids, some of them in bloom. These were found in Juniper Springs in the Ocala National Forest. These are very common above natural springs and sinkholes.
    Green-fly Orchid (Epidendrum magnoli..iae)
  • This unusual orchid has a very large flower that is almost impossible to find fully open. It has a scent emitted only at night and is always found in the thickest parts of the swamps.
    Night-Fragrant Epidendrum (Epidendru..num)
  • This unusual orchid has a very large flower that is almost impossible to find fully open. This one was photographed while standing on a big floating log in waist deep water while shooting handheld with a 300mm zoom lens. Risky for the camera and somehow in focus!
    Night-Fragrant Epidendrum (Epidendru..num)
  • Pine-pink orchid growing in the Fakahatchee Strand. This springtime bloomer is most often found in wet areas - often rooted in floating logs or old wood. I have also found them growing in sandy marl, so habitats can vary.
    Pine-Pink (Bletia purpurea)
  • Tall twayblade orchid found in the wettest part of the Fakahatchee Strand. In the hottest and most miserable part of summer, these beauties can be found quite easily!
    Tall Twayblade Orchid (Liparis nervosa)
  • Pine-pink orchid growing out of a floating log deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. They are almost always seen in large colonies and are truly one of the most beautiful terrestrial swamp orchids that can be found in southern Florida.
    Pine-Pink (Bletia purpurea)
  • A perfect specimen of a dingy-flowered star orchid in full flower growing in the Sweetwater Strand, deep in the Big Cypress National Preserve.
    Dingy-Flowered Star Orchid (Epidendr..mum)
  • This big leafy orchid is easily recognized by its foliage, and is often found above standing water in pond apple trees. I had to climb high in a tree for this one in the Fakahatchee Strand. Nothing like that "golden hour" late afternoon sunlight!
    Dingy-Flowered Star Orchid (Epidendr..mum)
  • Common grass-pink orchid growing in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Chances are that if you find one of these beauties, you are going to find very many of them in the area.
    Common Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon ..sus)
  • 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)
  • Close-up with details of the common grass-pink orchid.
    Common Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon ..sus)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • This is a particularly large Florida adder's mouth orchid found in the Fakahatchee Strand - about 12 inches high. Generally they are in the 4 to 8-inch range.
    Florida Adder's-Mouth (Malaxis spicata)
  • A perfect specimen of the bearded grass-pink orchid in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Bearded Grass-Pink (Calopogon barbatus)
  • Close-up of the tiny unusual flowers of the Florida Adder's Mouth orchid in the Fakahatchee Strand.
    Florida Adder's-Mouth (Malaxis spicata)
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