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Appalachian ladies' tresses

Spiranthes arcisepala

Also called Appalachian Ladies’ Tresses

Appalachian ladies' tresses
Photo: Allefant, CC BY-SA 4.0

Appalachian ladies' tresses is a small native terrestrial orchid from eastern North America, with white flowers in a spiral spike, that is best grown in its natural habitat and is rarely grown in gardens.

Family
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Grows as
Orchid
Light
Part shade
Water
Keep the soil consistently moist during the growing season and avoid waterlogging.
Soil
Moist, humus-rich, acidic soil or a woodland-type mix.
Temperature
Hardy to cold winters as a native; protect potted plants from hard frost.
How easy
Hard
Native range
E. Canada to Virginia
Climate
temperate

About

Spiranthes arcisepala, the Appalachian ladies' tresses, is a species of flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae. This orchid is native to eastern North America. Long treated as part of Spiranthes cernua the species complex was reevaluated and Spiranthes arcisepala established as a separate species in 2017.

Where it grows

Spiranthes arcisepala is primarily found across the Appalachian Mountains, from Nova Scotia south to western Virginia, with an extension into northern Ohio, Indiana, and southern Michigan.

Other Spiranthes plants

Summer lady's-tresses · Spiranthes australis · Atlantic Ladies' Tresses · Texas lady's tresses · Case's lady's tresses · Nodding lady's tresses · Reclusive lady's tresses · Ute lady's tresses · Eaton's lady's tresses · Canelo lady's tresses · Fire Ladies' Tresses · Sphinx ladies' tresses

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Spiranthes arcisepala by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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