White-fringed Orchid

Flowering from late spring until summer, Platanthera blephariglottis is an 8 to 110 centimeters (3 to 43 inches) tall plant that can be found growing in bogs and on the moist banks of lakes and rivers on the eastern side of North America.

Stem and leaves At least 2 and often several spreading to ascending leaves scattered along the stem. Leaf shapes from linear-lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate and elliptic-lanceolate. Flowers Dense to lax spikes of showy white flowers. Lateral sepals bent downward and outward more than 90 degrees. Petals are near entire fringed and the shape is linear and narrows toward the point of attachment.

Often found growing in sphagnum and other acidic moss, in open wet areas in black spruce and/or tamarack bogs or on the boggy shores of lakes and in open wet meadows.

Native

Nearctic

Eastern Canada: Ontario, Quebec Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont North-Central United States: Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin Southeastern United States: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia South-Central United States: Texas Sources: NRCS, WSH Additionally, P. blephariglottis has many hybrid zones along the Eastern Coast of the United States, with Platanthera ciliaris as a key species serving as the counterpart for many of these hybrid zones.