All About Orchids

With the end of June officially marking the start of the summer season, it is also the best time to spot orchids along the Bruce Trail. This month's journal entry is brought to you by Brian Popelier, Bruce Trail Conservancy Land Stewardship Coordinator & Ecologist:

June and July are the perfect time to keep a keen eye open for many orchid species that flourish along the Bruce Trail. Many are not as showy as some of the more well-known orchids and in fact have green flowers so they blend in well with their surroundings.

With its yellowish green colouring and small stature, the Northern Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida) is tough to see unless you catch a glimpse of its whitish lower lip. Look for it in Conifer dominated forests.


Northern Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida) – photo credit – Brian Popelier

The Frog Orchid (Dactylorhiza viridis) blends in so well with the forest floor that many will hike on by without ever seeing it. The flowers hide amongst the leafy bracts and the leaves look inconspicuous with the other plants growing under the canopy of a mature Sugar Maple forest where this orchid resides.


The Frog Orchid (Dactylorhiza viridis) – photo credit – Brian Popelier

With its tall spire of green flowers and 2 long basal leaves, the Alaska Rein Orchid is easy to identify but is another easy plant to miss as it lies unassuming in conifer forests.


Alaska Rein Orchid – photo credit – Brian Popelier

Growing in shaded, moist habitats, the North Wind Bog Orchid (Platanthera aquilonis) is common along the trail under the tree canopy but also hard to see in the shadows of the forest.


North Wind Bog Orchid (Platanthera aquilonis) – photo credit – Brian Popelier

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Posted on June 27, 2024 06:16 PM by shimeem