Fragrant Ladies Tresses Spiranthes cernua

Spiranthes cernua, or Nodding Ladies Tresses, is a herbaceous, perennial wildflower in the orchid family, often found in swamps, meadows, wet roadsides and bogs. It is native to the eastern United States and features small, very fragrant, hooded, white flowers densely arranged in vertical, slightly spiral-like rows on spikes typically growing 9 to 18 inches tall. The blooms appear in late summer to fall, often to first frost. The spiraling flower arrangement is the result of uneven cell growth, which results in a twisting of the flower stems. It is synonymous with and often listed and sold as Spiranthes cerna var. odorata, although the S. odorata has slightly larger flowers. This is one of the few orchids that have a fragrance.

The plant is best grown in moist, boggy, acidic soils in part shade. This is a classic bog plant. Nodding Ladies Tresses spread slowly by rhizomes to form colonies under optimum growing conditions.

Each flower is about 1/3 of an inch long, consisting of 3 white sepals and 3 white petals. The upper sepal and upper two petals are fused together and form a curved hood that curls upward at its tip, forming a small upper lip with 3 lobes. The lower petal has a prominent lip that hangs downward and has a crystalline appearance, while the lateral sepals are linear and non-spreading. Together, these sepals and petals form a tubular-shaped flower that nods downward. This orchid can reproduce from the seeds of the flowers, or it may form offsets from rhizomes. Normal growth and development won't occur unless the root system forms an endomycorrhizal association with the appropriate species of fungus. Starting plants from seed is quite difficult; on the other hand, this orchid is easier to transplant than most others.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:

No serious insect or disease problems.