Yesterday I detoured from my usual path to do my morning walk/jog. Instead of going down the driveway, I went through the horse’s gate to see if there were salamander eggs at the spring seep. There were not. But what I did find were leaves of the Crane-fly Orchid. This kicked off my 2026 Orchid Watch.
I’ve never found this species here before, so it was exciting to see it. I’m thrilled to add it to my list of orchids that live here at Wild Ozark. According to my Big Book (Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas) this species has not been documented in Madison county. I have the print copy, and I’m not sure if they update the PDF regularly or not. The atlas was published in 2013.
Orchid Roll Call
Here’s the list of all orchid species I’ve found so far:
- Crane-fly (Tipularia discolor)
- Three-birds (Triphora trianthophora)
- Showy (Galearis spectabilis)
- Adam and Eve (Aplectrum hyemale)
- Lady’s Tresses (Spiranthes spp.)
- Lily-leaved Tway-Blade (Liparis liliifolia)
- Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens)
Of these, the Three-birds is the smallest and most difficult to find, and I haven’t been back out to look for them again in many years. So I think it’s time to redocument them for my own list this year.
Orchid Watch Kicks Off
March 1
This year it’s starting with the Crane-fly and Adam-n-Eve orchids. For both of these, only the leaves are present now. I thought I might have been able to find some Rattlesnake Plantain, too, but I didn’t see any in their usual locations.
April 14 – Blooming!
Showy Orchid (Galearis spectabilis)
Maybe more Orchid Watch posts
During my Orchid watch, I’ll take updated photos if I manage to catch them blooming and seeds if I miss that, and unfortunately no further updates if I miss them altogether before there’s a chance to get photos.
Contact & About
email: madison@wildozark.com
phone: (479) 409-3429
The newsletter is monthly. My blog is sporadic, so if you want the posts to go to your inbox, put your email address below. Blog posts and newsletters aren’t always the same (very rarely are the same), so it won’t hurt to subscribe to both 🙂
I’m a nature-lover, real estate agent & artist. Sometimes, I also write things. I began using local pigments to paint scenes from nature in the Ozarks in 2018.
All of my artwork is available in prints, and where originals are available, they are for sale. You can find all of that over at shop.WildOzark.com.
If you’re interested in buying or selling in rural northwest AR, get in touch with me by phone, text, or email. I’m happy to help! I have a separate website for my real estate blogging and information at WildOzarkLand.com.
Call me “Roxann” or “Madison”, either one works.
Do you want to:
- learn how to make paints from rocks, soil, or clay?
- Begin Nature Journaling?
- Take plant walks?
- Create nature art or crafts?
Interested in forming a partnership with nature?
Soon you’ll be able to join me at my studio here at Wild Ozark for classes on these things! Sign up for my newsletter to stay abreast of progress:
