Spiranthes – Myorchids

Distribution:
The genus contains 30 to 50 species. It is distributed in the temperate and warm regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Spiranthes australis grows in Australia and New Zealand. The genus is primarily distributed in North America.

Plant Description:
Spiranthes are delicate orchids with a spirally twisted inflorescence, hence the name ladies´ tresses. The tubers are turnip-shaped. Some species from permanently damp areas develop a pronounced root system and do not form tubers. The leaves form a rosette. The species are deciduous or evergreen. Spiranthes spiralis, however, has a short dormant period in midsummer and forms its new rosette of leaves in autumn. Spiranthes aestivalis and Spiranthes australis are dormant during the colder months. In both species, the new leaves appear in April or May. Spiranthes aestivalis flowers in summer, while Spiranthes australis flowers in late summer or autumn.

Cultivation:
Most species are easy to cultivate. Natural habitats of ladies´ tresses are nutrient poor, wet to intermittently wet bogs and meadows. These are moist year-round, drier in winter. A few species, such as Spiranthes spiralis, colonize superficially acidic dry grasslands. These are therefore generally drier, especially in midsummer.

Recommended soil mixtures:
Raised bog peat or mixtures with wood fibers. Rhodohum yields good cultivation results. No or only minimal mineral components. No lime. No or only minimal fertilizer application.

Recommended reading:
Orchideen im Garten: Verwendung, Pflege und Vermehrung. Gerd Kohls and Ulrich Kähler, 1993. Parey ISBN 3 489 636244.
Orchideen für den Garten: Europäische und tropische Erdorchideen. Alfons Bürger, 1992. Ulmer ISBN 3 8001 64876.
Hardy orchids. Phillip Cribb and Christopher Bailes, 1989. Timber Pr. ISBN 0 88192 147 5.
The moor in your own garden: Creating, designing and maintaining moorland gardens. Erich Maier, Parey, ISBN 3 8263 3301 2