Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 2798080

Orange-fringed Orchid

Platanthera ciliaris

Also known as Yellow Fringed Orchid, Yellow Fringed Orchis, Orange Fringed Orchis

Orange-fringed orchids produce brilliant clusters of fiery orange blossoms, each featuring a lower lip deeply dissected into delicate fringe. These showy perennials rely on large butterflies, particularly swallowtails, whose long proboscises reach the deep nectar spurs while transferring pollen on their eyes. Thriving in open, fire-maintained bogs and wet pine savannas, they depend on periodic fires to clear competing woody brush.

FloweringPollinator-FriendlyFire-Adapted
Orange-fringed Orchid reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Laura Clark, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Laura Clark · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Autotrophic (assisted by soil mycorrhizal fungi)
Predators
  • White-tailed deer
  • Herbivorous insects
  • Small rodents
ThreatsFire suppression, wetland drainage, poaching, habitat destruction
HabitatsAcidic bogs, seepage slopes, wet pine savannas, meadow margins
Life spanPerennial (decades via tuberous roots)
Classification
  1. FamilyOrchidaceae
  2. SpeciesPlatanthera ciliaris
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
What to notice
Tall spikes of vibrant orange flowers with fringed lower lips blooming from July to August.
Support conservation
Enjoy and photograph from existing trails without disturbing soil or harvesting seed pods.
Responsible observation
  • Observation: Look for vibrant orange flower spikes in late summer along sunny bog edges.
  • Photography: Stay on designated boardwalks to protect delicate peat soils surrounding root systems.
  • Protection: Leave wild orchids undisturbed because poached plants rarely survive transplantation.
Related species
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