Spiranthes romanzoffiana
Hooded ladies' tresses
(c) Ed Alverson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orchidaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Spiranthes romanzoffiana (Hooded ladies' tresses) is a native California herb in the Orchidaceae family, recognized by distinctive hooded flower structure.
Hooded ladies' tresses is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, San Bernardino Mountains, San Jacinto Mountains, and Modoc Plateau in bogs, wet meadows, freshwater marshes, and edges of open conifer forests at elevations up to 3,300 meters. Flowering from July to September, this delicate plant produces white to ivory flowers tightly spiraled in dense clusters, with distinctive ovate flowers forming a distinctive "hood" where sepals and petals meet. Growing 5 to 60 centimeters tall with slender, erect stems, it emerges from moist ground with a graceful, delicate presence. Its leaves are linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, ranging from narrow to slightly wider toward the tip, providing a subtle green backdrop to its intricate floral display. The flower's lip is broadly fiddle-shaped, strongly recurved, with a central white to greenish-yellow coloration often marked by delicate lime-green veins.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; distinguished by distinctive hooded flower structure
Habitat and range
Habitat: Bogs, wet meadows, freshwater marshes, fens, seeps, wet roadsides, edges of open conifer forests, coastal dune swales
Elevation: < 3300 m
California counties: Humboldt, Riverside, Santa Cruz, Nevada, Fresno, Siskiyou, Tuolumne, Plumas, San Mateo, Tulare, Lassen, Trinity, Del Norte, El Dorado, Inyo, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Mono, Tehama, Mariposa, Modoc, Butte, Mendocino, Placer, Amador, Sierra, Marin, Calaveras, Alameda, Contra Costa, Madera, Shasta, Alpine, Monterey, Lake, Sonoma
Outside California: to Alaska, northeastern North America, New Mexico, northwestern Europe
Bloom period
Spiranthes romanzoffiana blooms Jul-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Platanthera: Spiranthes flowers spiral up the stem and lack spurs, while Platanthera flowers grow in a straight spike and have spurs.; vs Listera: Spiranthes has basal leaves and flowers in a spiral, while Listera has two opposite leaves at mid-stem.; vs Epipactis: Spiranthes flowers spiral up the stem, while Epipactis flowers grow in a straight spike and has pleated leaves up the stem.; vs Goodyera: Spiranthes flowers spiral up the stem, while Goodyera flowers grow in a straight spike and has a neat rosette with patterned leaves.; vs Piperia: Spiranthes flowers spiral up the stem and have pouched lips, while Piperia flowers grow in a straight spike.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spiranthes romanzoffiana native to California?
Yes. Spiranthes romanzoffiana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Spiranthes romanzoffiana bloom?
Spiranthes romanzoffiana blooms Jul-Sep.
Where in California does Spiranthes romanzoffiana grow?
Spiranthes romanzoffiana occurs in Humboldt, Riverside, Santa Cruz, Nevada, Fresno, Siskiyou, Tuolumne, Plumas and other counties, at elevations of < 3300 m.
What plant family does Spiranthes romanzoffiana belong to?
Spiranthes romanzoffiana is in the Orchidaceae family, genus Spiranthes.
What habitat does Spiranthes romanzoffiana grow in?
Spiranthes romanzoffiana grows in Bogs, wet meadows, freshwater marshes, fens, seeps, wet roadsides, edges of open conifer forests, coastal dune swales.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.