Tipularia discolor

Common Names

Cranefly Orchid

Summary

Tipularia discolor, Crippled Cranefly, is a woodland orchid native to the eastern United States, it is a perennial geophyte that grows from corms with a scapose, glabrous stem and a single basal leaf that appears in autumn and persists through winter, the leaf green on top with purple spots and a purple underside, the flowering stalk is leafless, reaches about 8-28 cm, and bears a spike of 5-55 small flowers that are green to greenish yellow or greenish purple with a long nectar spur, pollination occurs via noctuid moths, with pollinia attaching to the moth's eyes, in cultivation, it favors humus-rich, acidic soils in deciduous woodlands, often sandy oak-pine woods, with partial shade and well-drained moisture, it tolerates dry, acidic soils and is not invasive, reproduction occurs by seeds that depend on mycorrhizal fungi during germination and by corm offshoots for vegetative spread, making transplantation challenging, the plant is best appreciated in natural woodland settings and is protected in several states, while it supports native noctuid moth pollinators.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

4-20 inches

Spread

1-3 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 6a-9b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade; some sun in winter.

Soil Type

Moist, humus-rich, acidic, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained

Soil pH

6.0-8.0

Bloom Color

Green

Bloom Time

Summer (June–September, depending on location)

Foliage Color

Green on the upper surface with a purple underside.

Fall Foliage Color

Green on the top with a deep purple underside.

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Medium

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts noctuid moths