Orchids are most often associated with tropical paradises and exotic climes. But did you know that you can also find orchids in your own backyard? Or in local wild habitats, to be more precise. Unbeknown to many, North America boasts about 250 species of native orchids. Alas, due to habitat destruction and poaching, approximately half of these rare beauties are endangered or threatened in their native environments.
To learn more about wild orchids and what we can do to protect these native treasures, we turned again to our friends at the New England Wild Flower Society, which is working in partnership with the North American Orchid Conservation Center, an organization founded by the Smithsonian Institute and the U.S. Botanic Garden, for the preservation of native orchids.
Read on for everything you need to know about these rare beauties.
What is a North American native orchid?
Long before the Pilgrims came, indigenous members of the Orchidaceae family could be found across North America and Canada, in wild habitats, including woodlands, prairies, and wetlands. The best-known North American wild orchid is the lady’s slipper, Cypripedium orchids, of which there are more than 45 species across the northern hemisphere.
Where can I find North American native orchids?
Native orchids exist in every US state and much of Canada. To find native orchids in your region, contact your local native plant society or botanic garden and ask if any are in the local collection. A botanic garden also may have lectures or sponsor field trips to help you identify wild orchids on your own.
In addition, the North American Orchid Conservation Center has a comprehensive database: Go Orchids allows you to search for wild orchids by specific species or region. To use the regional database, simply enter a state or province; you may be surprised to learn how many native orchids can be found nearby. For example, when I entered my home state of Massachusetts, 48 native orchids species popped up. From the state list, individual species pages give detailed information about each plant, including when and where they can be found.
Why are native orchids threatened?
To propagate and survive, most orchids rely on highly specialized pollinators and fungi that can only be found in their native habitats. For this reason, they are extremely vulnerable to habitat destruction and climate change. “Canaries in the coal mine,” is how Dennis Whigham, a senior botanist at the Smithsonian Institute, describes them.
Additionally, just like their foreign counterparts, native orchids are highly prized by private and commercial collectors, and therefore fall victim to poaching. For this reason, it is illegal to harvest most orchids in the wild.
What can I do to help protect North American orchids?
- Educate yourself:
- Visit or join your local native plant society or botanic garden to start learning more about native orchids and their threatened habitats. The orchid conservation center partners with many native plant societies throughout the US; the organization North American Native Plant Societies also has a comprehensive native plant society list by US state and Canadian province.
- There are also many books on regional wild orchids such as Wild Orchids Across North America: A Botanical Travelogue; $9.99 at Amazon.
- Attend the annual Native Orchid Conference, which features lectures and field trips, coming up from July 26 to 30.
- For children and educators, the orchid conservation center and the US Botanic Garden offer Orchid-gami, a collection of 25 vivid, 3D orchid models that kids print for free and assemble.
- Volunteer: Most native plant societies rely on volunteers to help with research and conservation efforts. Many also have native seed banks that rely on people throughout the region to help responsibly collect wild seeds. (Note: Make sure you get fully trained before you attempt to collect any wild seeds on your own.)
- Spread the word: Tell as many people as possible about the splendor of native orchids and the importance protecting their native habitats.
- Give: Donate to the orchid conservation center or your local native plant society or botanic garden.
Can I plant native orchids in my garden?
Yes, you can plant natives, but there are a few caveats.
- Never harvest wild orchids to transplant to your garden. Not only is this often illegal and destructive to wild stock but also most native orchids won’t survive outside their natural microclimate.
- Since many orchids only survive with the help of specific fungi, it is important to do your research to determine which plants might survive in your garden.
- Always buy from a reputable nursery, such as your local native plant society or ask the society to provide you with a list of fully vetted sources.
- Spangle Creek Labs, a Washington State nursery “licensed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture” that grew out of one couple’s efforts to conserve native orchids, is one such source. Not only do Bill and Carol Steele offer several species of their lab-grown lady’s slippers for sale online but also Bill will also share his findings and techniques with you. See Who can grow Cypripedium seedlings?
- Botany Boy has also compiled a regional list of sources for lady’s slippers and other native orchids that includes the US and Canada.
See growing and care tips for native orchids’ tropical cousins at Orchids: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design. More for orchid and native plants lovers:
- Gardening 101: Orchids
- Wild Flower Society: 10 Outside-the-Box Native Plants
- Native Perennials for a Shade Garden: 9 Favorites for Cold Climates
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