Jersey Orchids

I consider myself a pretty good gardener and keeper of houseplants, but I have always had problems with orchids. I was surprised to read that New Jersey has 50 native orchids.

A steward for New Jersey Conservation Foundation spotted some leaves of green that stood out in the dull winter landscape. What was found was a cranefly orchid in a preserved farm in Salem County.  The landowner fenced the area to protect the plants from deer and the following summer dozens of stalks emerged from the ground with pale greenish-yellow, cranefly-shaped flowers.

cranefly orchid   
Photo by Dr. Thomas G. Barnes, USFWS on Pixnio

Cranefly orchids are different from most plants in that they don’t have flowers and leaves at the same time. Each autumn, a single green leaf with a purple underside emerges from the ground and stays through spring, enjoying a long season alone without competition for sunlight. If the plant can store enough energy, it will put up a flower stalk in mid to late summer, with irregular-shaped blooms resembling long-legged insects.

see some native orchids

Why wild orchids in New Jersey? We are in a unique place at the northern end of the range for southern plant and animal species, and at the southern end of the range for northern species. 

You won't find cranefly orchids in your garden center or potted up as gifts. There are "prettier" wild orchids such as the white-fringed, yellow-fringed and purple-fringed orchids, along with rose pogonia, dragon’s mouth, and pink, yellow and white lady’s slipper orchids. Of course, if you do find one, other than protecting it and taking a photo you should not try to take it home!

In fact, our rarest orchid is the small whorled pogonia which is federally-listed threatened species and state-listed endangered species. Small whorled pogonia populations have been confirmed in only three locations in northern New Jersey.  Where? We're not saying.

Native orchids have been threatened by collectors. Major threats to native orchids and other wildflowers include overabundant deer browsing, the spread of invasive plant species, poaching, and off-road vehicle drivers that destroy habitat. Loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation are also serious threats, compounded by destructive management practices and aggressive logging that overlooks the importance and needs of rare plants.

AS I discovered with my cultivated orchids, native orchids can also go for years without flowering waiting until they store up enough energy through photosynthesis to bloom.