Michigan is home to 57 orchid species, according to the current listing at the University of Michigan’s michiganflora.net. It is by far the most comprehensive flora species identification tool when it comes to our state. Wild orchids are typically a cherished find for many nature photographers as they can be quite rare and their habitats quite specific. Some only grow in cedar swamps. Some require calcareous soils found along with the Niagara Escarpment region’s rich dolomitic limestone areas.
Finding them is either done through self-exploration or, more typically, someone letting a closely guarded secret loose. I have little doubt many of these now “famous” spots were made popular by the photo workshops Larry West and John Shaw conducted in the late 1970s -1980s. And while West and Shaw were well-known “do-no-harm” instructors, once a “secret” location gets out, there is little that can be done to protect it from those with more self-serving attitudes.
Over the years, their locations warranted an increasing amount of secrecy as they become subject to poaching and other careless human threats. The late Mark Carlson expressed dismay in a 2016 article on his quest to find all 50+ species in Michigan, some of his disclosed finds ended up being trampled, poached, or worse in stories I’ve heard, intentionally destroyed. So he stopped disclosing all together for good reason.
I never set out to accomplish such a task of seeing or photographing them all. I admit I was also a beneficiary of some of these passed-down, disclosed locations. They became the word-of-mouth “go-to” spots in Michigan. While I enjoyed finding a species in a great location, I also quickly learned that many orchids, their peak bloom time, and mosquitoes tend to go hand-in-hand. So my ambition was always tempered by an annoyance multiplier. 🙂
With the changing climate, orchids are facing new threats. Their specificity of habitat makes them quite vulnerable. Some may end up migrating to other regions of the state, many may disappear altogether. I wonder if future photography workshops will include stories of how “this used to grow here.” I am fortunate to have seen as many as I have, although nowhere near what our state has to offer.
Some of my favorites are below. How many orchids are native to your state?
Ram’s head lady’s slipper orchid – Michigan
Yellow lady’s slipper orchid – Michigan
Showy lady’s slipper orchid – Michigan
Calypso orchid – Michigan
Grass Pink orchid – Michigan
First of all I love that Calypso Orchid! Not to take anything away from any of these images but it’s not the same as being there and seeing them. I’m not that familiar with orchids in Colorado so I had to go look them up. I discovered that Colorado has 25 species of native orchids in the state. Some are even found above tree line, which really surprised me. Of course nature will evolve to meet its needs. I was also surprised to discover that I think I’ve come across them while out and about but was not aware that’s what I was seeing. Now, I’m going to take a closer look.
Hey, great to know Colorado has some variety – even above the tree line!
Yeah – Calypso’s are pretty special and often some of the best-kept secrets when someone finds them. I have seen photos of clusters of them, but I have never been so fortunate to see that. They are pretty small and easily overlooked by passers-by.
I don’t know how many orchids are native to the state I live in but I do know that in Australia there are almost 1000 native species, so I also know that there is no chance I will get to see them all. They are amazingly intricate and delicate looking. When we moved into our home over 20 years ago I placed several pots of orchids under some cane palms and promptly forgot about them, effectively leaving them to their own devices. We had a one-year old at the time so promptly forgot about them and it was a few years later that I ventured into that corner of the garden to be greeted by a plethora of flowering orchids. The plants had multiplied and broken out of their pots, and basically flourished. Once a year, every year they flowered. Eventually my wife thought it would be nice to have them where we could see them more easily and so we moved them with great care but they never flowered again like they did and they no longer flower every year. So yes, they are a delicate plant indeed. And equally gorgeous.
I can relate to your story, Cedric. We did similar moving around with domesticated orchids we have in our house. Once they have a spot they like, that is THEIR spot. 🙂 A bit too picky if you ask me. 🙂
An interesting tidbit from Wikipedia on the overall family of Orchidaceae: “the number of orchid species is nearly equal to the number of bony fishes, more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species.” It seems about 28000 worldwide known currently.
If I counted correctly, “The North Carolina Native Plant Society” (https://www.ncwildflower.org/plant_galleries/orchids) lists 69 native orchids by scientific name, although not all those listed even had photos. I have no idea where in the state one might find each of these orchids and in truth, I wouldn’t know one from another with Internet research. I believe orchids are an especially interesting and beautiful flower and your photos in this post are wonderful. You’ve made me want to educate myself on the subject a bit more. 🙂
* “with Internet research” should be “without Internet research.”
Well, if the orchids in NC are anything like in MI – look for the most mosquito infested swampy areas around this time and you will be pretty close. Lol!
Sixty nine is a good amount! Get out the bug spray and start looking. Hehe.
Oh great, Mark, now you’ve brought another unanswered question to mind. Can mosquitos transmit coronavirus? 😉
Ha! Maybe the better question is – Can mosquitoes transmit antibodies? 🙂
These are really wonderful shots Mark. Many years ago I used to raise orchids (only from certified lab grown vendors) and the absurdity of poaching is that the orchids native to the US require very specific conditions and if one takes them and plants them in their garden they will invariably die. People can do such harmful things thinking ….it’s just me and it’s just one. Great that you know some of these locations. Hope they don’t disappear.
Thanks Howard – and interesting you used to grow them. As I understand it, it is quite the enjoyable, yet time consuming hobby. I haven’t been back to any of these spots in a number of years. I may have to recheck some soon.
Would be interesting to see if they are still growing where they used to.