Orchids of Ontario

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Grass Pink: Calopogon tuberosus

	Latin: Calopogon tuberosus English: Grass Pink Bloom: Early June to early August This plant was growing in quite boggy ground. It was not possible to take the flower from other angles or take a step closer to the plant! Photographed in the George Langman Sanctuary, Orillia July 3, 2013
	Latin: Calopogon tuberosus English: Grass Pink Bloom: Early June to early August This plant was growing at the edge of a marshy pond. Photographed in the Torrence Barrens, Muskoka July 4, 2014
	Latin: Calopogon tuberosus English: Grass Pink Bloom: Early June to early August Luckily the plant was near enough to the path to get a closeup. Photographed in the Torrence Barrens, Muskoka July 4, 2014
	Latin: Calopogon tuberosus English: Grass Pink Bloom: Early June to early August I was very worried when I could not find the grass pinks in the Torrence Barrens last year but there were several plants with blooms this year so all is well. Photographed in the Torrence Barrens, Muskoka July 10, 2016

Calypso: Calypso bulbosa

	Latin: Calypso bulbosa English: Calypso or Fairy Slipper Bloom: Mid-April to early July This orchid is the earliest to bloom in Ontario. It grows in dry calciferous soil in the shade of spruce, fir and cedar forests. It does not like heat. The plants are about 10 cm tall and have only one heart-shaped leaf. Photographed near Tobermory, Ontario June 5, 2011
	This orchid does not like the heat and all traces of the plant disappear during the summer. In the early fall one dark green leaf appears and remains under the snow until spring. Individual plants do not flower every year. Photographed near Tobermory, Onntario June 5, 2011
	A closeup of a white calypso flower. Usually the flowers are pinkish-purple. I took the boat trip to Flowerpot Island to see more calypsos growing near the path. People at the Orchid Festival had seen them and told me exactly where they were. When I got there the next day, they were gone. In the night someone had dug them out. A selfish and stupid act as these orchids cannot grow without the fungi in the soil around them. Five plants of a rare and endangered flower would die because someone was greedy. Photographed near Tobermory, Ontario June 5, 2011
	A closeup of a pinkish-purple Calypso. I visited the Bruce Peninsula Orchid Festival again this year. A boat trip to Flowerpot Island included a guided hike to see wild orchids. We saw a couple of purple Calypso orchids, a long way from the path, but luckily I have a big telephoto lens. Photographed on Flowerpot Island, near Tobermory, Ontario June 3, 2016

Striped Coralroot: Corallorhiza striata

	Latin: Corallorhiza striata English: Striped Coralroot Bloom: Early May to mid-July This is one of the first orchids to bloom in spring in Ontario. It occasionally forms dense clumps. Photographed near Tobermory, Ontario June 5, 2011
	These orchids grow in coniferous forests, especially cedar. In deciduous woods it prefers drier conditions. It has no chlorophyll as it rarely receives much sunlight.The plants range from 10 to 35 cm tall. There are no leaves. Photographed near Tobermory June 5, 2011
	There can be 3 to 30 flowers on a head. The flowers are about 1 cm. Photographed near Tobermory June 5, 2011
	As the flowers tend to droop, it is difficult to see what the flowers really look like. Photographed near Tobermory, Ontario June 5, 2016

Early Coralroot: Corollorhiza trifida

Latin: Corollorhiza trifida
English: Early Coralroot
Bloom: Mid-May to early July

This orchid is also called Northern Coralroot as it is globally circumpolar. It is the only coralroot found in Europe and Asia.

Photographed near Tobermory
June 5, 2011

This is the only coralroot that is green or yellowish green.

The plants can be 4 to 20 cm tall but we saw none bigger than 10 cm.

There can be 3 to 20 flowers on a stem.

Photographed near Tobermory
June 5, 2011

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