The noble orchid is a small ground-dwelling orchid from East Asia that blooms in early spring with a single pale green flower on a short stalk. It isn't found wild in the US. In Japan and Korea, plants with unusual leaf patterns or flower colors have long been collected and grown as prized varieties.
Appearance
- Growth form
- An evergreen perennial forming clumps of narrow, grasslike leaves 8–20 in (20–50 cm) long with finely toothed, rough edges.
- Flowers
- Usually one (sometimes two) lightly fragrant, pale yellow-green flowers about 1.25–2 in (3–5 cm) across, with a white lip spotted dark reddish purple.
- Flowering time
- Early spring (March–April in Korea and Japan).
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Open woodland
- Forest edges
- Range
- Native to China, Korea, Japan, Bhutan, and northern India in the Himalaya.
- Preferred conditions
- Grows in the ground under thin forest cover in warm-temperate to temperate regions.
Name and classification
- About the name
- In Chinese it is called chun lan, meaning "spring orchid."
Conservation
- Conservation
- Like all orchids, it is listed in , so international trade requires permits. In Japan, wild plants have been over-collected because unusual variants sell for high prices.
More species to explore
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