![]() ![]() In fact, this year the flowers have more purple in them than I’ve seen. The flowers, maybe slightly bigger than a pencil eraser, can be green with a hint of purple, or purple with a hint of green, as these examples were. The leaves, though smaller, closely resemble those found on false hellebore and the name helleborine in Latin means “like hellebore.” That’s another oddity about this plant neither false hellebore leaves nor the leaves of this orchid look at all like hellebore leaves.Ī third oddity about broad leaved helleborine orchids is how two plants growing side by side (it is said from the same bulbous root) can have different color flowers. They stand about knee high, but they can get taller with more light. I see only a few plants each year and they’re usually growing in shade but in some areas they come up in lawns. According to the USDA it was first found in the wild in North America near Syracuse, New York, in 1878 and has now spread to 31 states. One of the oddest plants you’ll meet at the end of July is the broad leaved helleborine orchid ( Epipactis helleborine.) Odd because it was introduced from Europe and of course almost immediately escaped gardens and is now considered an invasive orchid the only one I’ve ever heard of. It likes poor, sandy soil like that found along roadsides, and that’s where I found this one. ![]() It’s one of our prettiest mid summer natives and is worth getting down on your hands and knees to see. Its common name comes from its four long, arching stamens that dust bees with pollen when they land on the flower’s lower lip. They bloom in the morning and each flower only blooms for one day before falling off the plant. Many people think of English gardens when they think of phlox but this is actually a native plant with a range from New York to Mississippi.Īnother sign of summer’s passing comes in the form of eastern forked blue curls ( Trichostema dichotomum) but many people miss seeing these ankle tall plants full of tiny but very beautiful blue flowers. A walk along a garden border full of fragrant phlox on a summer evening is something you probably won’t ever forget. Some of these flowers can be extremely fragrant and they’re a valuable addition to any garden. Tall garden phlox ( Phlox paniculata,) another sign of summer’s passing, have come into bloom. ![]()
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