Plant types and subtypes: Perennials, Ground Orchids
Light Requirements: part-shade, shade
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: moist
Soil Description: acid, rich, loam, gravel/rock
Height: 6"-12"
Bloom Time: April, May, June
Bloom Color: white, pink, lavender
Leaf Color: green
Hardiness Zone: 4, 5, 6, 7
Additional Tags: rock garden plant, shade garden plant

Pricing & Availability
Sorry, this item is out of stock
Subscribe to be notified when this species become avaliable, and stay up to date with newly added species and special offers.
Description
Galearis spectabilis
Also known as:showy orchid
,purple-hooded orchid
,gay orchid
Galeorchis spectabilis, Orchis spectabilis
Description
Galearis spectabilis is a small plant that may only reach 12" in height including the flowers. It has two oval, fleshy, basal leaves. The helmet shaped or hooded white and lavender to pink flowers form a loose raceme. As is common with most orchids, the flowers are attractive, delicate, intriguing and somewhat alien looking.
Cultivation
Showy orchid is best grown in the shade or in the dappled light of deciduous forests. I prefers a rich, moist environment with a relatively high level of acidity ( pH: 4.5 to 5.5). Its native habitat also includes wooded rocky slopes, making it a good candidate for shaded rock gardens, so long as the plant is not exposed to hot, dry summers. Blooms in late spring or early summer, April to June. Zones 4-7
Propagation
Propagate by gently removing new buds from mature, established plants.
Additional Notes
The name Galearis comes from the greek word galea, meaning helmet. This is a reference to the shape of the flower.
Native Range & Classification
Recorded County Distribution: USDA data
Native Range:
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV
USDA Endangered Status:
- Endangered: ME, RI
- Exploitably Vulnerable: NY
- Threatened: MI, NH
Classification
Kingdom | Plantae | Plants | |
Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants | |
Superdivision | Spermatophyta | Seed plants | |
Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants | |
Class | Liliopsida | Monocotyledons | |
Subclass | Liliidae | ||
Order | Orchidales | ||
Family | Orchidaceae | Orchid family | |
Genus | Galearis | galearis | |
Species | Galearis spectabilis | showy orchid |