Orchid Hide and Seek on the Appalachian Trail

All the seasons pass so quickly, but mid to late June found us revisiting favorite orchid habitats in hopes of finding the utter perfection of Small Purple Fringed Orchid and Round Leaf Orchid. These days, our hikes are shorter, but the scenery is no less spectacular. On our way to the AT and skimming the NC/TN border, there is a boggy streamside habitat that lies below the intersection of the trail. This area never disappoints, and is a perfect place for orchid hide and seek. The bigger challenge is the timing to catch the orchids in bloom.

Small Purple Fringed Orchid- Platanthera psycodes

As we approached the streamside, I immediately spotted a few Small Purple Fringed Orchids in varied phases of bloom. Bernie headed further into the boggy area to expand our search. All told, we found dozens of Small Purple Fringed Orchid, including the white form shown here.

It is always interesting to see the white form of the Small Purple Fringed Orchid. We were lucky to see the spectrum of white to pale purple to deeper purple on this hike.

It was a gorgeous day, and much cooler at higher elevations. The breeze was wonderful, and we were surrounded by lush greenery and trickling, clear waters. My only complaint is that there was so much undergrowth that it was challenging to photograph these beauties!

As you can see from the images, some of the orchids were nearing the end of their bloom cycle, while others were revving up to their full display. I love the way the blooms progress from the bottom to the top of the raceme, and the fringed labellum appears to beckon you forward for a closer look. The flowers look positively angelic- with baby Yoda ears!

We happened upon a fellow hiker after we had left the bog, and told him about the location of the PFO. We saw him again on our return, and helped him locate these lovely but elusive orchids. It truly is an orchid hide and seek, because they are nestled amidst so much greenery and can easily be missed. We were extremely careful to avoid treading on them, as these beauties are considered locally abundant but rare overall. https://goorchids.northamericanorchidcenter.org/species/platanthera/psycodes/

Round Leaved Orchid- Platanthera orbiculata

Our other hoped-for-sighting was the Round Leaf Orchid- Platanthera orbiculata- which has huge, waxy rounded leaves that are easy to spot. But this year, it has been wet, and the understory was quite thick. It was more a challenge to spot the leaves, even considering how large and distinctive they are. We did find some, but none in bloom. But we always like to assess the progress to make sure we come back to this trail, or others, where Round Leaved Orchid is found. That’s ok- we’ll just put this on the list for another day!

I often find that June is the “in between” month for many wildflowers, when the spring ephemerals have wound down, and the summer wildflowers are just ramping up. Then in July, the blooms are in full swing again, and we are greeted by Turk’s cap, bugbane, yarrow, galax, bee balm, skullcap, lobelia, bellflower and other summer delights. Platanthera orbiculata: More orchids and other wildflower hikes

Just one final glimpse of the stunning Small Purple Fringed Orchid. This influorescence was particularly striking in its height and number of flowers on the raceme.

I have a few more posts to come, including Round Leaved Orchid in full bloom, and other gorgeous finds such as columbine. We are headed to the Colorado Rockies in the campervan next week. Life is short and mountains are healing.

Bernie continues with treatment and living life to the fullest, one day at a time. Oh, and FUCK CANCER. I hope you are getting out there, to the mountains or your happy place. Peace, yall!