Featured — Orchids of the Southwestern U.S. - North American Orchid Conservation Center

Betatakin Ruins

Among the Betatakin ruins in Laguna Canyon of northern Arizona, hanging gardens cling to the steep canyon slopes.

Ronald A. Coleman

Hanging Gardens

Pools and seeps on the walls of desert canyons keep the soil moist and create hanging gardens that provide habitat for many of our western orchids including the bog orchids (Platantheras) which thrive in these perennial wet areas.

Ronald A. Coleman

Alcove Bog Orchid (Platanthera zothecina)

The Alcove Bog Orchid is mainly confined to the Four Corners region of the Southwest: Arizona, Utah, and Colorado but not yet reported in New Mexico. This orchid blooms in June and July. The characteristic long spur aids in identification.

Ronald A. Coleman

Thurber’s Bog Orchid (Platanthera limosa)

Widely-distributed in Mexico, Thurber’s Bog Orchid reaches its northern limit in southeastern Arizona with an historical site in western New Mexico. The greenish-yellow flowers start blooming in late June and have a spur much longer than the lip.

Ronald A. Coleman

Madrean Adder’s Mouth (Malaxis brachystachys)

Madrean Adder’s Mouth grows throughout much of northern Mexico and extends into the mountains of southeastern Arizona. Widely scattered, this orchid occurs in shaded riparian habitats on ledges or near the bottoms of canyons and ravines.

Ronald A. Coleman

Wendt's Adder's Mouth (Malaxis wendtii)

Wendt's Adder's Mouth is rare in the United States, restricted to oak-juniper-pinyon woodlands in moist canyons and on north-facing slopes in the Chisos Mountains of Texas.

Ronald A. Coleman

Canelo Hills Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes delitescens)

Not all of our orchids are restricted to the Sky Islands. The Canelo Hills Ladies’ Tresses is endemic to southeast Arizona and grows only in marshy areas known as cienegas in the Sonoran Desert. This orchid is federally listed as endangered and its cienegas habitat is considered one of North America’s most endangered communities.

Ronald A. Coleman

Coleman's Coral Root (Hexalectris colemanii)

The Southwest is home to six species of Hexalectris - orchids that lack chlorophyll and are totally dependent on their associated fungi. The rarest is Coleman's Coral Root, restricted to white oak woodlands at lower elevation canyons in the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona and one location in New Mexico.

Ronald A. Coleman

Giant Crested Coral Root (Hexalectris grandiflora)

The Giant Crested Coral Root grows in scattered oak woodlands and lives up to its name, displaying the largest and most colorful flowers in the genus.

Ronald A. Coleman

Texas Purple Spike (Hexalectris warnockii)

Texas Purple Spike is more widespread than some of the other Hexalectris orchids and puts on an impressive display in Big Bend National Park, Texas and makes regular appearances in the Chiricahua Mountains of eastern Arizona. This orchid blooms in August and September and prefers the shade of oak woodlands, often growing among rocks or near fallen logs.

Ronald A. Coleman

Scarlet Ladies’ Tresses (Dichromanthus cinnabarinus)

Scarlet Ladies’ Tresses grows in just three mountain ranges: the Chisos, Glass, and Del Norte Mountains in a variety of habitats from totally exposed hillsides to protected canyons. The tubular orange flowers peak in August and September making this orchid one of the most colorful orchids in the Southwest. Here a spectacular specimen towers over a prickly pear cactus.

Ronald A. Coleman

Michuacan Lady Orchid (Dichromanthus michuacanus)

The Michuacan Lady Orchid grows in the Chisos Mountains of Texas and has also been found in southeastern Arizona. It is a classic monsoon orchid: leaves appear after the summer rains with blooms that follow in late September and early October. The fuzzy, tubular, half-inch flowers all face the same direction.

Ronald A. Coleman

Confusing Ladies’ Tresses (Sotoa confusa)

The Confusing Ladies' Tresses is also one of the rarest orchids in the United States, restricted to the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. Discovered in 1931, it was not reported again for almost 75 years. Blooming occurs in late spring, although the relatively large flowers are difficult to see against the clutter of the forest floor.

Ronald A. Coleman

Green Medusa Orchid (Microthelys rubocallosa)

The Green Medusa Orchid was believed to be restricted to Mexico until a small colony of less than two dozen plants was discovered in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico. The bright salmon-orange calluses on the lip easily distinguish this orchid from others found in the region. Could this be the rarest orchid in the United States?

Ronald A. Coleman

RON COLEMAN, PHOTOGRAPHER

Photo ©Gary Spicer
Take the chill off winter, with the help of photographer Ron Coleman, and explore the orchids of the rugged Southwest. More than a barren desert, the Southwest forms a patchwork of orchid habitats that include mountain ranges known locally as the Sky Islands. Canyons on the lower flanks of the Sky Islands support juniper and oak woodlands, as upper elevations transition to mixed coniferous forests with permanent seeps and streams. Here a surprisingly rich orchid community thrives between eastern Arizona and Big Bend National Park in western Texas. Many of these orchids are rare and found nowhere else in the US.

We first met Ron at the Native Orchid Conference last year in Minnesota. Already familiar with his work, we recognized him as a valuable resource as we developed the Go Orchids web site. Ron quickly signed on, joining over 50 photographers whose talents are contributing to the success of Go Orchids. Later this year, as we turn our attention to the orchids of the Southwest and West Coast, expect to see more of his photographs featured on Go Orchids.

Ron Coleman has been studying and photographing wild orchids throughout North America for over 40 years, but his true passion is the orchids of the southwestern United States. The author of two books, The Wild Orchids of California (1995) and The Wild Orchids of Arizona and New Mexico (2002), he also co-wrote the treatment of orchids in the Arizona Rare Plant Field Guide and The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, second edition. His articles have appeared in the American Orchid Society Bulletin (now known as Orchids), The Orchid Digest, Fremontia, Selbyana, and Madroño. Two wild orchids are named after him, and he has described two new species.

Featured — Orchids of the Southwestern U.S.

Betatakin Ruins

Hanging Gardens

Alcove Bog Orchid (Platanthera zothecina)

Thurber’s Bog Orchid (Platanthera limosa)

Madrean Adder’s Mouth (Malaxis brachystachys)

Wendt's Adder's Mouth (Malaxis wendtii)

Canelo Hills Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes delitescens)

Coleman's Coral Root (Hexalectris colemanii)

Giant Crested Coral Root (Hexalectris grandiflora)

Texas Purple Spike (Hexalectris warnockii)

Scarlet Ladies’ Tresses (Dichromanthus cinnabarinus)

Michuacan Lady Orchid (Dichromanthus michuacanus)

Confusing Ladies’ Tresses (Sotoa confusa)

Green Medusa Orchid (Microthelys rubocallosa)

RON COLEMAN, PHOTOGRAPHER

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