There are 25 species of orchids native to the Northern Shenandoah Valley. This is one of them! I have NOT seen it flower, but I remember where I found it, so I hope to catch it next year. It was so hard to identify this one, and I think I have the Virginia Native Plant Society FB group to thank for help in identification.
When I first saw this I thought maybe it was some kind of fern, but it turns out it’s a funky orchid, with teeny tiny flowers that are pollinated by mosquitos and gnats.
Alternate Names: Wooly Mullein Size: up to 50cm tall Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid family) Habitat: Prefers swamps, bogs, wet areas (streambanks) in forests. Identification: Single leaf, sometimes two. It shoots up a stem with up to 160 small yellow/green flowers. Blooms in the spring/summer in the north, and fall in the south.
