Orchid Hunting in Northern California and Oregon

Continuing our trip through Washington, Oregon and northern California, we visited a favorite site in California where we photographed both the Few-flowered Rein Orchis, Platanthera sparsiflora, and the California Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium californicum, both of which have a decided preference for wet, serpentine soils.  We found both in abundance and also found a few Phantom Orchids, Cephalanthera austiniae.  At a site in Oregon on our way back we found Epipactis gigantea, the Stream Orchid or Chatterbox.

Platanthera sparsiflora

Few-flowered Rein Orchis

Cypripedium californicum

California Lady's Slipper

 

Cephalanthera austiniae

Phantom Orchid

 

 

Epipactis gigantea

Stream Orchid

 

 

New Location for Epipactis gigantea

Having information from a friend who found the species there (he was along on the excursion) we visited Dry Falls State Park in central Washington to see Epipactis gigantea, the Stream Ochid.  Reputed to be rare in the state there were thousands of plants at two locations in the park, and though the flowers were just beginning to open we were able to get enough photos to prove that we had seen the species there.

 

Epipactis gigantea is an attractive species, always growing near water and often on the very edge of streams and lakes.  That was the case here also.  Sometimes the flowers are rather dull-colored but often they are the opposite, as the photos demonstrate.  It is also a rather large plant as native orchids go, and it is surprising that with its size and the number of plants it had not been previously reported from this location.

Four Orchids in Sherman Pass

Traveling to eastern Washington, I did some hiking in the area of Sherman Pass in Colville National Forest.  I was looking for the Northern Twayblade, Neottia borealis, a plant I had seen many times in the Canadian Rockies and never here in Washington.  Using GPS coordinates given me by a friend, I found it at the peak of its bloom right along the trail, about a dozen plants and growing with it, the Early Coralroot, Corallorhiza trifida, though that was very nearly finished blooming.  Later, continuing my trip, I stopped along the road to photograph a large colony of the Stream Orchid, Epipactis gigantea, and some Sierra Rein Orchis, Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys, growing with them.  The star of the show, though, was the Listera, a first for me in Washington.

Northern Twayblade

Neottia borealis

Early Coralroot

 Corallorhiza trifida

Stream Orchid

Epipactis gigantea

Sierra Rein Orchis

Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys