''Spiranthes odorata'', marsh lady's tresses or common lady's tresses, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the orchid

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to the southeastern United States, from Texas eastwards and northwards to Delaware. It grows in moist, partially shaded environments with acidic or neutral soil. An

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

, this orchid grows up to tall and broad. The flowers are borne in dense vertical rows on sturdy green spikes, in a slightly twisted pattern (hence ''Spiranthes'', "twisted flower"). This effect is due to uneven cell growth. The flowers, which appear in late summer and autumn, are white, hooded and fragrant (hence the

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''odorata''). This plant is pollinated by

bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...

s, notably '' Bombus pensylvanicus'', '' Bombus fervidus'', '' Bombus impatiens'', and ''

Bombus nevadensis ''Bombus nevadensis'', the Nevada bumblebee, is a species of bumblebee. It is native to North America, where it occurs from Alaska to California in the west, and east to Wisconsin, and in Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. Description A bumblebe ...

''. In the UK, the

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

‘Chadd’s Ford’ has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

’s

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. Requiring a fertile soil in partial shade, it is

hardy Hardy may refer to: People * Hardy (surname) * Hardy (given name) * Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica * Mount Hardy, Enderby Land * Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island * Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands Australia * Hardy, Sout ...

down to , but in frosty areas needs a dry mulch during the winter months. Botanically it is not actually a ''Spiranthes odorata'' but a different species called ''

Spiranthes bightensis ''Spiranthes bightensis'', the Atlantic ladies tresses, is a terrestrial orchid native to coasts of the north-eastern United States. Description ''Spiranthes bightensis'' plants look similar to ''Spiranthes cernua'' and '' Spiranthes odorata'' ...

''.

References

odorata Orchids of the United States {{Orchidoideae-stub