The third and last of the three orchid species with winter leaves in our area of South Carolina is Goodyera pubescens or Downy rattlesnake plantain. This is a wonderful orchid whose flowers, from a distance, resemble little white beads popping out of a sturdy, downy stem. Up close, the flowers remind me of lots of

The second of the three orchid species in our area that has winter leaves is Tipularia discolor or Crane-fly orchid. Its common name comes from the shape of the flowers: they appear to mimic the crane fly. Oddly enough, each one of these misshapen flowers is twisted slightly on the flower stem, creating an odd

After drenching rains last night, this morning dawned with a bright, cloudless sky. So, I decided to head up to the upper parts of Greenville County, South Carolina, about 40 miles (65 km) away, to check on the winter leaves of one of our most interesting native orchids — Aplectrum hyemale or Putty-root orchid. Incidentally,