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Pogonia ophioglossoides

Pogonia ophioglossoides
Rose Pogonia, Snakemouth Orchid

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This plant carries a 12 months recovery warranty

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An aquatic perennial orchid that thrives with its feet in the water in a sunny location. Each slender stem produces a charming light pink and violet flower of small size between May and July. This small deciduous turf moor perennial is exceptionally hardy and loses its foliage in autumn, only to come back to life the following spring. Less spectacular than many garden species due to its small dimensions, this orchid will mainly interest enthusiasts and collectors.
Flower size
2 cm
Height at maturity
50 cm
Spread at maturity
30 cm
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -29°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil, Damp soil
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Best planting time March to April
Recommended planting time February to May
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Flowering time June
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Description

The Pogonia ophioglossoides is a charming small aquatic orchid known as the Snake-mouthed Pogonia. Native to America, where it grows in wet areas, it is incredibly hardy and tolerates heat well as long as it never lacks water. In late spring, it produces a small flower with a characteristic shape, in shades of pink and violet, at the end of each stem. This small deciduous perennial spreads each year to form a small clump in sunny exposure and acidic, consistently moist soil—a rarity for connoisseurs and enthusiasts of original orchids.

The Orchidaceae family is rich in species (over 25,000) and remarkably diverse, including epiphytic plants (which use trees to support) and garden species growing in the ground. Some are even aquatic in North America and eastern Asia, as in the Pogonia genus. Pogonia ophioglossoides is native to the North American continent, Canada, and the United States. This species has an incredibly extensive range, extending from the northern tip of Newfoundland to southern Florida, reaching far inland in the United States, covering the entire Great Lakes region and extending to Texas in the south. With its almost delicate appearance, this small orchid adapts to many climates, withstanding freezing temperatures down to -30°C and the subtropical conditions of Florida. It grows spontaneously in turf moors, wet meadows, marshes, and riverbanks.
The plant forms a rootstock that survives in winter as the above-ground part disappears. In spring, it produces a thin, erect stem, 25 to 35 cm tall, usually bearing a single flower (sometimes two or three). The stem also carries a single sheathing leaf, light green in colour, located halfway up. This particularity gives this orchid species its common name of Snake-mouthed Pogonia, by analogy with the Ophioglossum fern, which also has a single leaf (in Greek, "ophis" means snake and "glôssa" means tongue). Depending on the climate, the flowering occurs between May and July and is relatively discreet but very graceful. The flowers measure approximately 2 cm in width, not fully spreading but slightly folded forward, and have a typical orchid shape. They consist of three sepals and two morphologically similar petals, elongated in shape, slightly rounded, and light pink. The sepals measure from 14 to 23 mm, and the two upper petals generally have pink-violet streaks on their inner surface. The third petal, in the lower position, measures 12 to 25 mm long and is quite different from the other five floral parts. In orchids, this labellum petal attracts insects that will pollinate the plant, like Pogonia and bumblebees. The labellum is spatulate, fringed at the edges and decorated with pink-violet veins, with rows of hairs that give it a bearded appearance and a yellow central part. As the rootstock grows over the years, the plant produces more and more flowering stems and, therefore, more flowers, gaining presence.

Pogonia ophioglossoides will primarily appeal to enthusiasts, as its charming flowering remains discreet. It can be planted on a riverbank in an open space to enjoy the sun and fit perfectly into a natural garden. You can plant the Orontium aquaticum or Golden Club, a curious Araceae with large leaves of beautiful green colour, which blooms in summer, producing very original erect yellow spadices in the water next to it at a shallow depth. The Cotton Grass (Eriophorum angustifolium), another moor plant, will perfectly complement your scene by adding a light touch with its summer inflorescences in small, pure white plumes. The Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris) will also be a good companion for your Pogonia. Its clusters of pendant flowers, blending green, brown, purple, and white, have a wild appearance that will perfectly match the spirit of your setting.

Pogonia ophioglossoides in pictures

Pogonia ophioglossoides  (Flowering) Flowering

Flowering

Flower colour pink
Flowering time June
Inflorescence Solitary
Flower size 2 cm
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators
Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour medium green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 50 cm
Spread at maturity 30 cm
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Pogonia

Species

ophioglossoides

Family

Orchidaceae

Other common names

Rose Pogonia, Snakemouth Orchid

Origin

North America

Product reference20965

Planting and care

This resistant orchid grows in wet to waterlogged, peaty, acidic, and even slightly marshy soils. It can be planted on the edge of a body of water in a sunny location, using a carnivorous plant soil or a peaty substrate. The stump gradually extends by forming stolons, thus allowing the formation of new shoots, each of which will produce a flower (rarely two or three). It is preferable to prune the faded blooms to prevent the plant from exhausting itself by producing seeds.

1
7,50 € Bag
6
19,50 €
17
14,50 € Each

Planting period

Best planting time March to April
Recommended planting time February to May

Intended location

Suitable for Pond edge
Type of use Edge of border
Hardiness Hardy down to -29°C (USDA zone 5) Show map
Ease of cultivation Experienced
Planting density 10 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Acidic
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light)
Soil moisture Moist soil, Damp soil, rich in humus or turf, very moist

Care

Pruning instructions Prune the faded flowers to prevent the plant from exhausting itself by producing seeds.
Pruning No pruning necessary
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

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