#pretty orchids
From late June through early August, the sphagnum bogs, marshes, and partly-shaded seeps of Cranberry Glades host a non-stop procession of wetlands-loving orchids, some showier than others but all incredibly fascinating to me. Irrespective of where they grow, our native orchids rely on a tricky underground fungal association (mycorrhizae) to germinate and derive nutrients from the environment. I regard them as precious miracles borne of happenstance and a fragile symbiotic biology. The photos above were taken earlier today at various locations around Cranberry Glades. From top: rose pogonia (photos 1 - 3), also known as snakemouth orchid; tuberous grass pink (photos 4 - 6); large purple-fringed orchid (photos 7 - 9); and northern tubercled bog orchid (photo 10).
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