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Orchidaceae
Grass Pink Orchid
Calopogon tuberosus
Deception and beauty.
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Genus
- Calopogon
- Native to
- Eastern North America, Caribbean
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Summer
- Type
- terrestrial orchid
- Height
- 0.5-1.5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- wet, acidic, boggy, sphagnum
- Water
- high
- Hardiness
- 3-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The flower is upside-down compared to most orchids, with the lip (labellum) at the top rather than the bottom.
- It uses deceptive pollination: the yellow hair-like structures on the lip mimic pollen-laden stamens, but offer no actual nectar reward to visiting bees.
- When a bee lands on the hinged lip, its weight causes the lip to snap downward, pressing the bee against the column to deposit or pick up pollen.
- The genus name Calopogon means 'beautiful beard,' referring to the yellow bristle-like hairs on the lip.
- Unlike many orchids, Grass Pink is non-parasitic and makes its own food through photosynthesis with the help of mycorrhizal fungi.
Color meanings
0
rare beauty
1
cleverness