<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=192888919167017&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Thursday, March 28, 2024
March 28, 2024

Linkedin Pinterest

Flowers lovers flock to Vermont for wild orchids

By LISA RATHKE, Associated Press
Published: June 29, 2017, 4:51pm
6 Photos
A rare wild orchid blooms in the Eshqua Bog in Vermont.
A rare wild orchid blooms in the Eshqua Bog in Vermont. Lisa Rathke/Associated Press Photo Gallery

HARTLAND, Vt. — Each spring and summer, a Vermont bog yields a rare spectacle — hundreds of wild orchids in bloom, drawing visitors from around the country.

The bulbous pink and white showy lady’s slippers (Cypripedium reginae) are on full display at Eshqua Bog in Hartland.

This particular orchid, considered rare in Vermont and a number of other states and different from the more common pink lady’s slipper, thrives in Eshqua, because of the wet, sunny conditions, with soils containing peat and lime.

A boardwalk allows visitors of all ages and abilities access to the bog and an up-close look at the plants.

The area is technically a fen because it’s less acidic than a bog and fed by groundwater containing nutrients such as calcium and magnesium from the area bedrock, according to the Nature Conservancy, which owns and manages the preserve along with the New England Wild Flower Society. The sanctuary includes an 8-acre wetland and 33 surrounding acres.

The lime-rich groundwater also helps to yield pitcher plants, insectivorous sundew and other plants.

But the orchids are typically the main show for visitors.

“The orchids love it at Eshqua, and people love to see the orchids,” said Rose Paul, of the Nature Conservancy.

Loading...