Orchids of the Cranberry Wilderness and the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area

[kentuckiense]

A few weeks ago we spent a rainy weekend in one of the botanical treasures of Eastern North America: Pocahontas County, WV.

While driving 45 mph I spotted this lovely Platanthera grandiflora f. albiflora:

There were also hundreds of the typical color form:

The first thing I saw at Cranberry Glades Botanical Area was this fruiting stem of Corallorhiza trifida (some say var. verna):

Out in the sphagnum there were thousands of Calopogon tuberosus and Pogonia ophioglossoides:

Finally, at a trailhead I stumbled across a single Spiranthes lucida, a rarity of the southern Appalachians:

 

[Shiva]

You saw that driving at 45 miles an hour! Good eyesight you have. Myself, I would have missed three mooses jumping over each other.

Very nice pics and beautiful flowers. Great posting and I wish I could see as well as you.

 

[Hera]

THanks for posting. They are lovely.

 

[W. Beetus]

Beautiful albas, and the Calopogons are stunning! Great pictures.

 

[cnycharles]

nice white purple fringed! (and others) i've never seen one of them, and the standard ones aren't as populous around here as down south it seems. psycodes are more common....

 

[SlipperFan]

Love the Plantantheras!

 

[JeanLux]

Great pics, thanks!!!! Jean

 

[s1214215]

Beautiful pics. Thanks for sharing.

I am seeking seed of Platanthera grandiflora and psychodes. If anyone has some, please PM me.

Brett

 

[goldenrose]

:drool::drool: I think I need a couple of those for my bog garden!

You saw that driving at 45 miles an hour! Good eyesight you have. Myself, I would have missed three mooses jumping over each other.
Very nice pics and beautiful flowers. Great posting and I wish I could see as well as you.

:rollhappy::rollhappy: I may be just a little better - I think I'd see 2 moose jumping over each other!

 

[NYEric]

Very nice, that's a great spot i guess.