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Tipularia discolor
Also called Cranefly orchid, American Cranefly Orchid, Crippled Cranefly Orchid, Crane Fly Orchid
A small terrestrial woodland orchid native to eastern North America that grows from underground corms. It is shade-loving and grows best in leaf-litter-rich forest soil, where it is hard to cultivate outside its natural habitat.
Tipularia discolor, the crippled cranefly or crane-fly orchid, is a perennial terrestrial woodland orchid, a member of the family Orchidaceae. It is the only species of the genus Tipularia found in North America. It occurs in the southeastern United States from Texas to Florida, the range extending north into the Ohio Valley and along the Appalachians as far north as the Catskills. There are also isolated populations in Massachusetts and in the Great Lakes region. Tipularia discolor is a common early pioneer during secondary succession, readily colonizing woodland habitats during early developmental or regrowth stages.
Tipularia discolor grows a single leaf in September that disappears in the spring. The leaf top is green, often with dark purple spots. The leaf underside is a striking purple color. The flower blooms in mid-July to late August.
Tipularia discolor is one of the most common orchids in North America, occurring in the majority of the southeastern United States, but is rare or even endangered in some of the central states. Its range extends from Texas to Florida and as far north as New Jersey, with isolated populations in New York and Ohio. Tipularia discolor can be found in deciduous forests and relies on humus-rich soils, a result of decaying trees, to germinate and develop.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Tipularia discolor 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.
