08/28/2026
PLANT OF THE WEEK
Here's a shout out to WHITE NORTHERN BOG-ORCHID - my plant of the week!
This orchid - Platanthera dilatata - likes alpine areas which I found fascinating. Sadly, you likely won't see it in Connecticut, though it was once here. It is believe to have been extirpated from the state 🥺
The white northern bog-orchid's native range covers most of New England (not in Rhode Island), a lot of the Great Lakes and northern U.S. states, and into many of the western states from Montana to New Mexico.
This orchid flowers in July and August - so if you are adventuring north, you may find it on your strolls in the mountains. It likes wet places so you'd need to find a wet meadow. It also grows in bogs and fens...but these habitats are super fragile, so please don't venture out and disturb these areas.
The flowers are pollinated by owlet moths. This tall orchid is sometimes called "bog candle" due to its height and shape.
- Kris Vagos, Refuge Wildlife Biologist
