This Spring's Flowers (Many Photos!)

18 years ago

Hi All,

For the past month and a half, since the rains have slowed, it has been wildflower photography season! Here is a month an a half of driving and hiking summarized in a short (long) post. This post mostly contains native plants (with a few exceptions) most of which are native orchids & their neighbors. (All photos are my own and are not to be used without my consent.) Enjoy!

The spring started out very wet in March & April and my camera doesnt do well in low light. Here are some shots of a very common but often overlooked orchid, Listera cordata, both the green and red forms.

{{gwi:1059015}}

A private garden in the Portland area has several species of orchids as well as many interesting plants from around the world. These shots were from mid May.

Cypripedium flavum from China(excuse the poor quality).

A spot leafed Cyp species from China, C margariteceum, that is quite rare in cultivation here in the US.

A Cyp parviflorum var. pubescens native to much of the US and Canada.

Kalmiopsis leacheriana, a rare native only to the Siskiyou Mtn region of Southern OR and Northern CA. Excuse the poor quality.

Two Orchis species native to Europe. Is it just me or do they look like singing octopi?

Last a Vireya Rhododendron that smells like heavan.

The East side of Mount Hood is suited well to orchids as well as some other interesting plants not commonly seen here on the Western Side.

Cypripedium montanum, the mountain lady slipper is considered quite rare here and is on its way to the threatened species list.

I wish there were more clumps like this one around.

Calypso bulbosa occidentalis, the fairy slipper (western version) is noted to be a different variety than the eastern and eurasian varieties primarily due to itÂs lack of yellow coloration on the lip (I think)

A very white form that was one in the thousands that we saw.

A Corallorhiza striata that grows without chlorophyll.

A neat Delphinum (nuttalii?).

And last a single plant and a colony of Listera convallarioides so numerous it was impossible to step within 10 feet of the densest part.

Over this past weekend, we took a trip to Southern Oregon in the Siskiyou region. Too much poison oak and a bear taking our food were a few of the highlights, but the orchids still produced!

A common Goodyera oblongifolia with good patterning.

A thick stand of some sort of Platanthera (Possibly hyperborea? I can never ID the little green ones. Help?) and a lone raceme.

The western azalea, Rhododendron occidentale, were smelling wonderful as we made our way through the serpentine wet land.

The California Pitcher plant, Darlingtonia californica, is a strange and rare sighting. Here are the flower, and the pitcher.

Here is Lisa in a sloped field of Darlingtonia. The ground is sand & grit with large rocks every few feet. A constant amount of water is running over the ground.

And the Highlight of our trip, Cypripedium californicum, the California lady slipper, endemic to small regions in Southern OR and Northern CA and definitely not common in its range, though in areas like these, hundreds of plants may be counted :-) :-) :-) :-)

This Cyp is known for its multiflorous behavior.

Lots of flowers on every clump!

And last, a picture looking up the hill to the wet serpentine meadow with many Darlingtonia and clumps of Cyp californicum.

Best,

Ross

Comments (23)

TOS_Webguy
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
WOW!

---Prem
plantfreak
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wow! Thank you for the great shots Ross! I absolutely love the Cyps, especially californicum. The montanum's staminode is so yellow and huge, I forgot how lovely a species that one is, too. And those Listeria cordata, so small, but so jewel like. Thanks a million for the photo tour, it was great! PF
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Hi, Kitkat-- Thanks for the correction/reminder: it's Heirloom Roses, not Heritage. I have yet to see Irish Hope. You're right about Austin's blowing soon and having a droop factor. But I find that if you cut them before they're open--and even if they *are* open, and *immediately* put them in water, they tend to hold up pretty well; of course, not like a hybrid tea, but hey, their flouncy, delicate beauty makes them worth it. As for plant food, at the time I took most of those shots, I was into the rose addiction heavy, and trying every darn mix and brand and method the 'experts' recommended--most some version of expensive organic this or that. In that period, one product I liked a lot is Neptune's Harvest. Since then, I was tragically beset by the nastiest of all rose pests: the Rose Weevil. Looks like a ladybug without spots but with a snout, which it uses to pierce the buds; so, when they bloom, you have swiss cheese blossoms. Or, they suck juice from the stem below the buds so they droop and die. They are horrid critters, and I was forced to turn to liquid systemic Bayer All In One (food, blackspot & insect control). It works fine and makes life easier when you're getting older, lazier, and more slothful (especially with 70 roses to deal with). Long story short, I've learned over the years that roses are tough cookies and don't much care what you feed them. And they keep blooming well even if you forget to be prompt; they just bloom BETTER if you're regular and disciplined. I've seen roses just as beautiful fed with regular Miracle Grow as with any fancy organic approach. I do, however, replenish the soil each winter with good organic compost, epsom salts, alfalfa meal and whatever else I have on hand. Once feeding stqarts, I don't think it matters a whole lot what you give them. My current rose tragedy is an infestation of botrytis blight--a fungal illness which only a very expensive product works on, called Decree; and, thus far, I'm only having limited results with it. I'm about ready to throw in the towel if I can't get rid of it, and get rid of many roses instead. It originated on my most beloved scent rose: Yves Piaget. Smells like roses are supposed to smell. Sorry for going on, but your question got me going over my live with these wonderous blessings. Karen
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kwoods
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wow Ross!

Nice shots. Risking bears in search of orchids! That's dedication.
Bill_K
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I agree, "WOW"! Thanks for sharing your great finds. The Cypripediums are truly spectacular.
ArborBluffGirl
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Appreciate the beautiful photos!!
northeastwisc
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Great pic's! Nice to see so many orchids in their native habitats.
mytime
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Awesome pics. You must have had a great time getting these photos. Thanks for sharing that fun.
macranthos
Original Author
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks for the kind words. It's been a lot of driving and a lot of fun!

Here is one more picture of Cyp californicum. This was probably the largest plant we saw: it is about 4ft tall and has about 100 flowers.

{{gwi:1059058}}

Hope everyone is having as an eventful spring as I :-)

Best,
Ross
kitsumi
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Ross, you big nerd!! j/k You never told me Oregon was so swamped with orchids. =P All you showed me was the duck pond.. then again August probably wasn't the season to see the blooms anyway. *shakes an angry fist* Next time Kouzes... next time... - Mary
macranthos
Original Author
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
LOL. Oh Mary, Come in May next time. I'm going back to the Siskiyous over Memorial Day 2006 & you can go backpacking with us (backpack not included).

Best,
Ross
kasim
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Great trip, wonderful pictures. There are so many native orchids and it is so nice to still be able to see them untouched. Cypripedium montanum is stunning as is Cypripedium californcum. Thanks for sharing your venture. Karen
Sunflowerpoet
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
These are truly amazing photos! I envy you to see so many natural beauties in your field trip. Wish I could visit them one day.
evagreen
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wonderful! Love the Cypripedium californicum and the californian pitcher plant as well!
eva
macranthos
Original Author
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
A correction: The plants labelled "Orchis species" should be "Dactylorhiza species or hybrids". Oops.
elaine8_gw
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank you for sharing your photos of our lovely natives.

Elaine
knottyceltic
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks so much for sharing all those great photos and descriptions...what a treat! :o)

I love those "faerie slippers"... sweet little things.

Barb
Ontario, CANADA zone 6a
Moon Rabbit
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Beautiful pictures! I especially like the Kalmiopsis leacheriana, very interesting morphology and coloration.

I must say though, what looks like singing octopi to you look to me like hummingbirds slowing down to investigate flowers. Although, the white one may look more octopiish than hummingbirdlike.

Hope you have many more weeks of wildflowers ahead of you.

Ed
BlueAng
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wow! So many different orchids! Last year, I went to the Scenic State Park in the northern part of Minnesota. See lots of ladyslippers in swamp and then on bog trail, see Swamp Pinks and Stemless Lady slipper (ladyslipper not in flower but identify by two leaves. Swamp Pinks had tiny pink flowers on grass like foliage so easy to overlook! Rattlesnake Plantain ( I am not sure of the name but similiar to the picture of the heavily veined rosette above ) was blooming next to a trail near white cedar / pine/ birch mix forest with its pretty white flowers but people pass it by. So the next time you go to a park, look at every different kinds of little flower. They might be a orchid! Also the tall green orchids in the eighth and nineth from last picture

may look like some kind of lady tresse.
macranthos
Original Author
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi BlueAng,
Yes, some orchids are easy to overlook! The swamp pink you're refering to is probably Calopogon tuberosus, a very widespread orchid found throughout the entire eastern half of the country. The Stemless Lady Slipper, or Pink Lady slipper is Cypripedium acaule. The Rattlesnake Plantain over there was probably Goodyera pubescens, but could have been G repens or tesselata also.

The green orchids in the 8th & 9th pictures are of the genus Platanthera, loosely known as Bog Orchids. Lady's tresses are of the genus Spiranthes and have white flowers.

In the boggy places in your area, you might be able to also see Arethusa (quite uncommon), the Eastern version of the Calypso if you're lucky (very uncommon up where you are), as well as many other Cypripedium, Platanthera, Spiranthes etc.

Best,
Ross
calypsogrower
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks Ross, those are wonderful photographs. I am doing research in Northern California on growing Calypso bulbosa var:occidentalis from seed. Everything you said in your comments on Calypso seems quite accurate to me. It is a pleasure to view solid information and great photographs.
calypsogrower
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
A little more information on the western Calypso as compared to the variety americanus. The Calypso pictured above shows the characteristic absence of the yellow beard on the lip and the lip itself is deeply mottled with blurry spots, a real pain to photographers who try and try to focus them, it can't be done. The var:americanus with the yellow beard has a pale to white lip. Both var:occidentalis and americanus have a snow white form. The americanus has the yellow beard on a white flower, stunning. Occidentalis is just white. I have here a link to view the white americanus and will maybe have a picture soon of the white occidentalis.
macranthos
Original Author
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi Calypsogrower,
Have you grown Calypso in vitro? I've heard from books that the North American varieties are difficult, but that the Eurasian and particularly the Japanese are easier to propagate.

I am thinking of trying greenpod this year since it's usually easier greenpod with the tough species. Do you know a good greenpod ripening time? I haven't ever read that particular datem.

Best,
Ross
brcspr_yahoo_com
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Very good macro photography !
Your spring flowers are really amazing!

This Spring's Flowers (Many Photos!)

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