Spiranthes tuberosa

Common Names

Little Ladies’ Tresses

Summary

Spiranthes tuberosa, Little Ladies' Tresses, is a small terrestrial orchid native to the United States, typically 5–30 cm tall, with a single erect, hairless stem and basal leaves that disappear by flowering, it bears a solitary terminal spike that forms a long, loose spiral of 4–7 pure white flowers, each flower has a very short tubular base and a lip that is white, with a solitary vertical tuberous root up to 1 cm in diameter, distinctive for the single glabrous stem and a white lip, it grows in dry to open woods, outcrops, old fields, roadsides, and cemeteries at elevations 0–400 m across a broad eastern range, in cultivation or garden contexts, it occupies dry habitats such as dry to open woods, disturbed sites, grasslands, meadows, and woodlands, and features 3–5 basal fugacious leaves that vanish by flowering, the inflorescence remains a single spiral of small white flowers, pollination is by Augochlorella pura and possibly Bombus species, and seeds are monoembryonic

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

2-12 inches

Spread

2-2.5 inches

Soil Type

Acidic, dry soil

Soil Drainage

Dry, well-drained soils

Soil pH

Acidic soil (low pH)

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Late Spring to Fall

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

No fall foliage color

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Seasons of Interest

Summer and Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds (monoembryonic)

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees