Saturday, April 13, 2013

First Week of the Native Orchid Season - Fairy Slippers


April 7-13

Finally!  Actually they are two to three weeks early, but the Fairy Slippers are blooming at lower elevations here in western Washington.  I visited Washington Park and Sharpe Park in the Anacortes area on Fidalgo Island Thursday and found them already at their peak.  The earliest date I have for them is April 18th and at that point they were just starting to bloom, but we have found them as late as May 25 if spring weather is delayed.  In any case, it was wonderful to see them.

As I have noted in previous posts these are the Western Fairy Slipper, Calypso bulbosa var. occidentalis, distinguished from the much more common and wide-spread eastern variety by the white (rather than yellow) "beard" and by the brown markings on the mid-lobe (outer end) of the lip.  It is not quite as showy as the eastern variety, but very elegant and beautiful in its own way.  We hope to see the eastern variety later this month on another excursion to eastern Washington.





 






One additional note.  Last year we found a white Fairy Slipper in Washington Park.  I looked for it again and discovered that some blankety-blank had dug it up, probably last fall.  The hole they left was still there.  I cannot understand that someone who knows what they were seeing would be so thoughtless and stupid as to take something so beautiful and valuable for their own private use and probably kill it in the process.  I just hope that my post last year was not their motivation.

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12 comments:

  1. UpupaepopsApril 13, 2013 at 4:58 PM

    there is no way the post ( or mine) could have lead someone to that specific spot. I had a challenge finding it when you told me where it was, in private.

    I had a hard time refinding the exact spot and I didnt look under the druff or see the hole.

    I will have to look for Sharpe Park.

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    1. RonApril 13, 2013 at 7:16 PM

      I hope not, but I'm still angry. Sharpe Park is on Rosario Road south of Anacortes. Fabulous views of the Salish sea from Sares Head and lots of plants. There's also a wetlands area that had a lot of birds when we were there.

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  2. UnknownApril 15, 2013 at 11:06 AM

    Woah hey now... it has started. Superb pictures again. This gives me hope to find that one end of May in Sweden.
    Is there any chance to get to see Calypso bulbosa a month later in the higher elevations, or is it bound to the coastline? The places I heard of in scandinavia are all under 500m elevation. Do you have a timeframe for the Calypso blooming season in US/CA, just in case I planned a trip?

    Also: Seriously, whoever dug out that flower deserves a severe fine at least... ah well... it just makes me sad. We have that problem in Germany too to a certain degree. Mainly with Cypripedium calceolus tho.

    --Martin

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    1. RonApril 15, 2013 at 11:50 AM

      Here the Calypsos bloom from April through June at different elevations. We've found them into July further north and at higher elevations, way above 500m, I would guess as high as 1500-1800m. The further south you go the earlier the season, of course, and the closer to sea level. These were photographed in an area that is nearly at sea level.

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    2. UnknownApril 16, 2013 at 2:56 PM

      That is good to hear, so I would not be bound to a very specific time, when only Calypso is in bloom.
      Anyways... I just heard of the first orchids in Germany in bloom in the southwest. Orchis morio started in the Saar valley region, which is a very warm area. It is too much of a hassle to get there this weekend however (~150km one way), when they bloom in my area two weeks later. It makes me excited none the less.

      --Martin

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    3. RonApril 16, 2013 at 3:36 PM

      Glad to hear things are started there, Martin. Hope to see some pictures soon. I checked out the Striped Coralroots (Corallorhiza striata) the other day and they were well along and should be blooming in a week or two.

      If every you are out this way, the Calypsos (at higher elevations) overlap with everything but the Piperias, the Epipactis, the Spiranthes, and some of the Platantheras.

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  3. UnknownApril 16, 2013 at 3:06 PM

    OMG what a beautiful plant!

    And magnificent photos!

    Unfortunetelly we don't have Calypso's here in Brazil... :(

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    1. RonApril 16, 2013 at 3:37 PM

      Thanks for commenting, Luis. They grow only in temperate regions and not in the tropics, but you really have nothing to be jealous about with so many wonderful orchids coming from your own country. Would love to see them someday.

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  4. Andrew Lane GibsonApril 16, 2013 at 3:32 PM

    Fantastic as usual, Ron! Color me jealous of your season starting with such a stately orchid, what I wouldn't do to finally see one of their pretty faces...

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    1. RonApril 16, 2013 at 3:39 PM

      Thanks for checking out my post, Andrew. I've never thought of the Calypsos as stately. They're so tiny they appear as little spots of color on the forest floor, but they certainly are one of our most beautiful orchids.

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  5. northwestuniversityMay 16, 2013 at 5:23 AM

    Thanks for the post On Northwest. You should take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will recommend this site!

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    1. RonMay 17, 2013 at 4:57 PM

      Thanks for the kind comments and the recommendation. It is all very much appreciated.

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