Most Allen County temperate terrestrial orchids have been lost as their specific habitat requirements are lost to development. A few are known to exist in nature preserves which do NOT publicize the locations of orchids to prevent poaching of these habitat endangered plants to plant collectors. They require exact growing conditions and rarely survive transplanting. Specialized orchid nurseries now offer native orchids grown from seed which is a slow process requiring several years of exact growing conditions not easily duplicated for even experienced plant growers. ( temperate means plants grow in places with distinct seasons including spring, summer, fall and winter, while terrestrial plants grow in soil )
Orchid seeds: the most mysterious and unique seed in the world.
In the early 1900s the local Vesey Greenhouses grew tropical epiphyte orchids in six greenhouses advertising tthat they grew over 10,000 orchids that were wild collected which is why many orchids around the world are rare and often endangered. (epiphyte means they grow on other plants usually trees )
Spring Lake Woods and Bog is an ACRES Landtrust preserve that includes a sphagnum bog with native flora including five foot tall cinnamon ferns giving a lush tropical feel in a northern muckland woods.
Preserve Description
Spring Lake Woods and Bog has long been recognized as significant to preservationists due to its sphagnum bog, orchids, pitcher plants and plant life distinctive to northern muckland woods.
The preserve protects the shoreline of Lake Everett, Allen County’s only natural lake. It is also home to the rare four-toed salamander and features distinctive plant life including cypress-knee sedge, skunk cabbage and large cinnamon ferns.
Deep in the bog, plant life is sensitive, and the ground is not solid enough for trails. The bog smells like rotten eggs and is surrounded by poison sumac. To protect the bog, this preserve’s trail does not go near the bog.
The importance of preserving native plant habitat is demonstrated by century old Big Trees, Trout Lily and Orchid colonies of plants research indicates that when growing undisturbed are often decades perhaps centuries even millennium old.
The current issue of Outdoor Indiana was just released. The feature article is about Indiana orchids written by the acknowledged expert on this plant family, Mike Homoya, recently retired botanist and ecologist with the INDR Department of Nature Preserves. Mike is also the author of Orchids of Indiana, which has been my primary source book in my pursuit of photographing all of Indiana's native orchid species. Frank Oliver, staff photographer of the IDNR and photo editor of the magazine fills the pages with many spectacular photos, sure to surprise those who are unfamiliar with how many colorful species can be found in the state. I was honored to have some of my archived photos included in the article, a few species that are difficult to find in bloom in any given year.
"Field margin gems." says undergrad Purdue University Fort Wayne student Joanna Stebing. Her team, with Tessa Aby and Madison Beckstedt, are conducting a plant inventory on a formerly-farmed ACRES property - and loving every minute of discovery and awe.
The two orchids pictured here are identified as Spiranthes lacera (slender ladies tresses, the spiraling type) and Spiranthes cernua (nodding ladies tresses). So sweet to make their acquaintance, but ...
You certainly don't need to know their names to be inspired by these ladies. Happy trails, friends!
Orchids occur on all continents save for Antarctica, and the orchid family is considered by many to have the greatest...
Orchids occur on all continents save for Antarctica, and the orchid family is considered by many to have the greatest number of species of all plant families in the world. To the surprise of many there are 45 naturally occurring species in Indiana. This presentation will look at a selection of them and discuss their floral characteristics as well as range, habitat, and blooming seasons.
Presenter Michael Homoya served as Botanist/Plant Ecologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Nature Preserves for 37 years before retiring in 2019. He has written over 75 scientific papers, popular articles, and books about Indiana’s natural features.
In honor of National Orchid Day, here are some of our favorites at Mt. Cuba Center! 1. Kentucky lady's slipper...
America's native orchids are creating a buzz in London! This week, SERC scientist Melissa McCormick joined a team of orchid conservationists at London's Chelsea Flower Show, one of the most famous flower shows in the world. Their exhibit, "Orchids in the Wild - The Beauty of Nature," received a visit from King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The display, co-created by our Native North American Orchid Conservation Center, featured orchids from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and India. It included four orchid species native to our home turf in Maryland: the yellow lady's slipper, the endangered white lady's slipper, the showy lady's slipper and the dwarf rattlesnake plantain. Two of these species—the showy lady and dwarf rattlesnake—haven't been seen in Maryland for years and are considered extirpated, though they once thrived here. The display calls attention to the dangers orchids face worldwide, due to their reliance on specific pollinators and fungi in the soil. Learn more on our website at https://sercblog.si.edu/four-maryland-orchids-at-chelsea.../
FOREST ORCHIDS: Crested coralroot (Hexalectris spicata) is a state-threatened species that grows best in the dry soils of upland oak woodlands or even glades. Despite their inconspicuous tan stems, they have incredibly striking flowers with bright purple striped lips (the specialized lower petal of an orchid that attracts pollinators). Crested coralroot gets all of its nutrients from its parasitic relationship with the mycorrhizal fungi network in the forest soil, no need to photosynthesize! Discover more of the incredible diversity of Indiana’s forests on your next visit to the Indiana State Forests: Indiana State Forest Recreation!
Grass pink
Our Indiana wetlands are magical places full of amazing species. Case in point—the beautiful grass pink orchid needs...
Our Indiana wetlands are magical places full of amazing species. Case in point—the beautiful grass pink orchid needs healthy wetlands to survive! Grass pink is a cagey plant—it uses its lip structure to achieve pollination without offering the pollinator any nectar. We our wetlands!
Lady Slipper Orchids - Cypripedium
Often form large colonies of plants over decades even centuries of undisturbed growth.
WILDFLOWERS OF THE INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK is an accessible field guide that bypasses the dry nature of many wildflower guides. In addition to the usual scientific species names, descriptions, and bloom periods, Nathanael Pilla and Scott Namestnik offer deeper narratives—folklore surrounding the flowers, look-alikes, animals associated with the plants—that will be remembered much more easily than the length of a petal.
The cover photo shows wild lupine and pink lady slipper orchids with special habitat requirements not known if ever found growing in Allen County.
Wild Lupine, but no orchids, are on the Fort Wayne Plant List posted by City of Fort Wayne. There is an interesting discussion January 18, 2024 about planting the wrong species of native lupines and the federally endangered Karner Blue Butterfly whose only larval host is Sundial Lupine a subspecies Lupinus perennis subsp. perennis on the Indiana Native Plant Society (INPS) group Facebook page.
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The lupine are dressing up the landscape at Badger Barrens a little earlier than normal! We anticipate the peak to be...
The lupine are dressing up the landscape at Badger Barrens a little earlier than normal! We anticipate the peak to be towards the end of this week. Hopefully, the weather will provide you with a opportunity to come hike the trail and soak it in.
Badger Barrens, a 13-acre nature preserve in Steuben County is covered in a coat of blue, white, and purple lupines. The foot-tall plants are native to Steuben, LaGrange, and Elkhart counties and established with collected seeds in 2008. Lupines were still plentiful in the sandy soils in the 1930s and 1940s. Blue Heron Ministries is a Steuben County based environmental ministry of the Presbyterian Chapel of the Lake Church. Its ongoing mission is “to preserve creation and restore the land to its natural, native ecology through good and focused environmental stewardship.” www.blueheronministries.org .
National Wildflower Week- Thursday Throwback We're celebrating National Wildflower Week by sharing the most popular...
We're celebrating National Wildflower Week by sharing the most popular post from April is Ohio Native Plant Month! The winner was our April 16 post on one of Ohio’s prettiest native orchids—pink lady’s slipper (Cypripedium acaule). Also called moccasin flower, this orchid is easily identified by its bubblegum pink inflated pouch or “slipper" along with its two hairy, strongly veined basal leaves. One of the most exciting (and rare) sights is finding a white flower growing among all the pink ones!
One of five different Cypripediums native to Ohio, pink lady’s slipper is our most common. It occurs throughout south and east Ohio in dry upland forests of pines and/or oaks. It loves acidic, sandy, well-drained soils and can form large colonies of hundreds of plants! Although not rare, it’s not commonly found either, so it’s a real treat to find pink lady's slipper blooming.
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Pink Lady's Slipper grows in acidic soils, whether they be in bogs or in dry conifer and oak woodlands. Copied from Indiana's Lady's Slippers on the Get Your Botany On! blog July 23, 2011.
Did you know today is National 🥀Orchid Day? Today we're celebrateing April is Ohio Native Plant Month and National...
Today we're celebrateing April is Ohio Native Plant Month and National Orchid Day! May we present one of Ohio’s prettiest native orchids—pink lady’s slipper (Cypripedium acaule). Also called moccasin flower, this orchid is easily identified by its bubblegum pink inflated pouch or “slipper" along with its two hairy, strongly veined basal leaves.
One of the most exciting (and rare) sights is finding a white flower growing among all the pink ones! One of five different Cypripediums native to Ohio, pink lady’s slipper is our most common. It occurs throughout south and east Ohio in dry upland forests of pines and/or oaks. It loves acidic, sandy, well-drained soils and can form large colonies of hundreds of plants! Although not rare, it’s not commonly found either, so it’s a real treat to find pink lady's slipper blooming.
Bumblebees are its primary pollinator. The sweet aroma of the slipper and its bright blooms draw inside the slipper. Upon entering, the find themselves trapped without reward; the only way out is a narrow opening at the top that takes them past the pollen mass. As they squeeze through, will deposit pollen on the stigma for pollination! Look closely and you may see slippers with holes which are left behind by bumblebees that chewed their way out!
Cypripedium reginae: Showy lady's slipper The showy lady's slipper occurs from the northeastern seaboard west to Minnesota, south to Arkansas in widely scattered colonies. Throughout its entire range, it is listed as threatened or endangered in almost every state where it still exists. From the U.S. Forest Service USDA.
Cypripedium reginae, known as the showy lady's slipper, pink-and-white lady's-slipper, or the queen's lady's-slipper, is a rare lady's-slipper orchid native to northern North America. Although never common, this plant has vanished from much of its historical range due to habitat loss. It is the state flower of Minnesota. From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Cypripedium reginae (showy lady’s-slipper orchid) This is by far the largest and showiest of the “slipper”orchids...
Continuing the celebration of April’s Native Plant Month is an Ohio wildflower unequalled in its beauty. The showy lady’s slipper (Cypripedium reginae) is the largest of Ohio’s 50 native orchids and when in full bloom, they create an unforgettable scene of natural beauty.
A state-threatened species, the showy lady’s slipper buds in May and flowers through June, making it the last of Ohio’s spring wildflowers to appear. With habitat loss and poaching challenges, it’s not an easy wildflower to find. The best public viewing spot for this gorgeous pink and white flowered orchid is at Cedar Bog State Nature Preserve in Champaign County. It’s a must-see spot to visit in early June to see witness their gorgeous blooms from a boardwalk trail.
The showy lady’s slipper is a finicky plant and prefers a specific high-quality wetland habitat such as boreal and cedar fens. They require consistent moisture and sun; if the conditions aren’t right, the plants will quickly disappear. If the conditions are right, individual plants can live to be 20, 30, 40 years and older. Some of Ohio’s larger impressive clumps are estimated to be hundreds of years old.
Also called queen lady’s slippers, this beautiful orchid is pollinated by flies, beetles, and bees.
Check back tomorrow for another wildflower species profile. Throughout April, we will be introducing many of our favorite spring, summer, and even fall wildflowers as we continue our celebration of Ohio’s Native Plant Month!
And the Flower of the Year Award goes to.... the showy lady's slipper! Ok, this is an unofficial award, but when these...
And the Flower of the Year Award goes to.... the showy lady's slipper!
Ok, this is an unofficial award, but when these gorgeous orchids bloom mid-June through mid-July, we guarantee you'll say to yourself, "That's the most beautiful flower I've ever seen and it should be given an unofficial Flower of the Year Award."
This particular patch of showy lady's slippers was spotted at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota. Minnesotans know a thing or two about beauty, because they made this bloom their state flower. Showys are a slow growing perennial and can take up to 16 years before they first bloom. Much like many other orchid species, these flowers rarely survive replanting, so if you spot them, admire their allure and leave them in place.
Photo of showy lady's slipper (Cypripedium reginae) by Blackledge/USFWS
[ Notice they often have two flowers on each stem! ]
Not all forest orchids are flashy and colorful! The wispy, green-brown petals of cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor) resemble flying insects more than they resemble many of the more striking members of the orchid family. However, this unassuming flower has some interesting adaptations. Cranefly orchids produce pollinaria, or pollen-filled structures specialized to attach to the eyes of the moths that pollinate them. When the moth flies to the next orchid and pushes into the tubular flower to get the last bit of nectar, the pollinaria are transferred from the moth's eyes. These are a fairly common orchids in the moist woodlands of Indiana, so keep your eyes peeled on your next State Forest visit: www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/properties/recreation/!
Twayblade, large - Liparis liliifolia
Was still seen in wooded Allen County sites in the 1990s where subdivision construction opened up woodland habitat for easier viewing.
Native Plant of the Week: Liparis liliifolia (large twayblade orchid) When in flower, there is no mistaking this unique...
Native Plant of the Week: Liparis liliifolia (large twayblade orchid)
When in flower, there is no mistaking this unique looking orchid. This is a species straight out of Perelandra (for those sci-fi fans). Commonly called, large twayblade, it is found in savannas, open woodlands, and deciduous mixed forests. It has also been recorded in shrub thickets. The genus, Liparis, comes from the Greek word, liparos, which means fatty or oily. This is due to the oily shine on the leaves. Sterile plants have one leaf and fertile plants have two. The flowers are purple with a big spatulate-shaped lip that can be as large as 1.3 cm long. There can be up to 31 flowers on one stalk. It is self-incompatible which means it needs another genetically separate individual plant to fertilize it. As with many orchids, large twayblade relies on the mycorrhizae fungi for its germination and growth.
This orchid is one of many within our Indiana landscape distributed throughout the state. So when hiking, make sure to keep an eye open for this special little orchid. It blooms from May to July.
Yellow Lady Slipper
Yellow Lady Slipper has been seen in various undisturbed woodland locations around Fort Wayne and Allen County. Unfortunately many of these may have developed or otherwise disturbed. Recent derecho weather damage to Fox Island Park Nature Preserve shows even nature sometimes alters the native habitats.
WILDFLOWERS: YELLOW LADY'S SLIPPER: One of the tallest and most beautiful orchids in Indiana, the yellow lady’s slipper may stand 30 inches above the forest floor. There are over 40 native species of orchid in Indiana, some small and unrecognizable, others very showy. While uncommon and declining, the yellow lady’s slipper may be encountered in mid-May along a DNR forest trail. It is distributed widely in our state. Factors behind its decline are loss of habitat, invasive species, and being illegally picked or collected from its protected home on nature preserves, state forests and parks. The large inflated lower flower part gives it its name. It is pollinated by larger bees, who receive no nectar or pollen as a reward for their efforts. For information about Indiana's nature preserves, see dnr.IN.gov/nature-preserves. Photo by Brittany Davis.
our wetlands!
Orchid Day?
inside the slipper. Upon entering, the 
