Listera cordata

Heart-leaved twayblade

Family: Orchidaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Heart-leaved twayblade is a California native perennial found in the North Coast and Klamath Ranges in moist, shady conifer forests at elevations of 100 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from March to June, this delicate orchid produces small, intricate green to brownish-green flowers with a distinctive heart-shaped lip. Growing 6 to 25 centimeters tall with slender, erect stems, the plant emerges from thin underground structures. Its single pair of leaves are broadly heart-shaped, 1 to 4 centimeters long, positioned near the base of the plant. The flower's unique lip features two short teeth at its base and is deeply divided into two lobes, creating an intricate botanical design characteristic of this rare woodland orchid.

Habitat: Moist, shady conifer forests

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: 100-1300 m

Bioregions: NCo, KR

California counties: Mendocino, Del Norte, Humboldt, Nevada

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.