Native orchids

[Ruthie]

I found these growing in a soggy meadow near our crawfish pond.  This is my photo, taken with my primitve digital camera.  I walked back out into the swamp this morning (90 degrees by ten in the morning, sauna like humidity ) with a bucket and a shovel.  I took a few plants and potted them. 



This photo is by a real photographer, from google images.



I've never seen them here before and it took some googling to find out what they are.  They are a fairly common native orchid called ladies tresses (spiranthes sp.)  They like moist conditions, so I think they will like the soggy areas around the berm of the pond once they get established.  They are quite beautiful.

[miguynmkoi]

Very nice!  Great find in your own backyard.  What kind of roots do they have?

[Ruthie]

It has fleshy tubers.

I have been trying to get out to the back of our place...the real wilderness parts...there are all kinds of boggy/aquatic treasures out there. 

About five years ago we had a massive bloom of american lotus in some natural ponds.  It was amazing!  It was before i dug the pond, so I didn't even think about grabbing seed pods!

[miguynmkoi]

Wow, make s me want to take a wlak down to the creek to see if there is anything I can find for my pond    I've only picked watercress.

[joeyb5980]

What a nice find!     One word of caution- be careful to hose off all dirt really well from any plants dug in the wild... I dug up some cattails growing wild in a ditch along the road and potted them up dirt and all and put in the pond, and very soon after, had a terrible bout with anchor worms on my fish... Perhaps it was a coincidence, but that was the only time it ever happened and I believe I brought them to my pond from the ditch....It is a good idea to at least rinse well, if not sterilize... Just a little advice 

[Desertponder]

Those are pretty neat.