Spiranthes ×stellata

Starry ladies' tresses

Family: Orchidaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Starry ladies' tresses is a California native perennial found in wet habitats across mountain and foothill regions in bogs, wet meadows, seeps, and moist roadsides at elevations of 300 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from July to August, this delicate orchid produces tightly spiraled white flowers with subtle pale yellow centers, creating an elegant twisted appearance. Growing 20 to 40 centimeters tall with slender stems, it develops linear-lanceolate basal leaves that emerge from the ground. Its distinctive flowers have a bell-shaped profile with spreading sepals and a fiddle-shaped lip that gives the plant its charming character. Light brown fruits develop after the flowers complete their bloom cycle.

Habitat: Bogs, wet meadows, fens, seeps, wet roadsides

Bloom period: Jul-Aug

Elevation: 300-3000 m

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