Native orchids in Glacier National Park

[The Orchid Boy]

We went to Glacier National Park recently and I saw 3 different species of orchids. I was very excited! I liked the orchids better than all the bears and moose we saw. I think I IDed them correctly, correct me if I'm wrong.

Goodyera oblongifolia



Spiranthes romanzoffiana



Platanthera dilatata

 

[AdamD]

That's great! You can find spiranthes and goodyeara growing wild around my neck of the woods as well. Still haven't seen any wild cyps... Yet. Thanks for sharing

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Lucky you! I love that part of the world. It would be cool to find Cyp. passerinum in that park, but I imagine they flower in May or June.

Agreed on all the IDs.

I wish I cold see a bear or moose again, but all we got in Japan are little raccoon-dogs called tanuki, wild boar, and lot of crows and sparrows...

 

[The Orchid Boy]

The only things closer to home that I've seen are Cyp. candidum. They're really cool, one of my favorites, but they only grow in 1 100 foot section of a ditch and in a privately owned field.

 

[NYEric]

Cool. Thanks for posting.

 

[Linus_Cello]

I was in the western part of Glacier NP back in 2000 around late July, and remember seeing Fairy Slippers (Calypso bulbosa). Which part of Glacier are these pics from?

 

[tonyw]

We were there on July 4th and there were thousands of the platanthera in the ditches all along the road from the western entrance out from Kalispell. They were superb specimens. Also saw a couple of bears but no moose!

 

[The Orchid Boy]

Goodyera oblongifolia- Picture taken in west glacier area, these were all over the park, probably thousands upon thousands of them.

Spiranthes romanzoffiana- Picture taken just a little bit away from Logan Pass, around the St. Mary falls area, there was only a single plant here. There were hundreds or thousands along Fishercap Lake around the many glacier area.

Platanthera dilatata- Picture taken at Fishercap Lake. Hundreds or thousands of plants here. This orchid, the spiranthes, and moose seem to like the same area.

I really, really wanted to hike to John's Lake. I've heard it's pretty boggy and there may be sundews and butterworts there, plus sphagnum moss.

 

[Clark]

Great finds!!!

When we were in YNP, many native orchids(and the rest of the low vegetation), were found in the footprints of bison.

 

[Dido]

nice pics thanks for sharing

 

[SlipperFan]

nice pics thanks for sharing

I agree.

 

[Leo Schordje]

Thanks for sharing, this reminds me, I got to check on the local population here of Spiranthes magnicomporum. They should start blooming soon. I love the Spiranthes, they are all pretty similar, nice little wildflowers. They are not so showy as to get trampled by photographers lining up to see them. (A problem for the local Platanthera here, photographers literally trample an area for 15 feet in a circle around a blooming plant, crushing all the seedling Platantheras in the immediate area. Its a real problem.