Grass Pink Orchid
Calopogon tuberosus
The grass pink, and an orchid that cheats: its magenta flower is upside down relative to the family norm, and the yellow bristles on the upper lip mimic pollen. A visiting bee lands, the hinged lip drops it onto the column, and it leaves carrying pollinia for nothing. Nursery-propagated from seed and reliable in a sunny bog.
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 2–4 ft
- Spacing
- 1–2 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- wet
- Soil pH
- neutral
- Bloom
- March, April, May, June, July, August
- Bloom colors
- pink
- Wildlife value
- pollinators
- Landscape uses
- rain garden
- Native states
- AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV