wild wednesday - calypso orchid

By Andy Ames

Looking for a plus side to all this rainy weather? This could be a banner year for wildflowers in the Estes Valley. One particular beauty that thrives in shady, damp coniferous forests is the rare Calypso Orchid, also known as the Fairy Slipper Orchid. Dependent on fungi for germination, this delicate flower can be found in soils rich in decaying leaves and wood. In the fall a single dark green leaf sprouts from the plant’s corm and lasts through the winter, even under snow. In the spring, the flower emerges, attracting pollinators, not with nectar, but with its bright colors and sweet smell. A single flower can produce up to 20,000 seeds! The leaf and flower fade quickly, however, and by summer the plant is dormant. Now is the time to seek out these special flowers.

Calypso Orchids thrive in damp conditions.

A Calypso Orchid with its single, basal leaf.

While often seen individually, Calypso Orchids have been particularly prolific this year.

As stunning as they are, with their small stature (only 3 or 4” tall), Calypso Orchids are easy to overlook.