Cypripedium candidum in situ

[musiclovertony]

These are from a calcareous fen near one of our major rivers. The site is about 70 acres. About half of that 70 is high quality fen, with the remaining half being colonized by invasive, Phalaris and Phragmites grasses (though there is still a good deal of native plant diversity even in the disturbed/lower quality areas).

Regardless, there are quite a few patches of Cypripedium candidum growing here. Cyp candidum is on the list of Special Concern Species in Minnesota. Last year, I found several dozen (maybe 50) clumps in this particular fen. This year I found about 20. It's been a dry year, though and we got a late season freeze that blasted many of the buds on several of the plants.

The unfortunate aspects aside, calcareous fens are quite lovely places to visit. I've also seen Cyp. parviflorum (pubescens and parviflorum), Cyp. reginae, Spiranthes, Platanthera, and Liparis at the site.

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[JeanLux]

great pics, thanks for sharing!!!! Hope that they will survive and not be disturbed!!! Jean

 

[Ross]

Great pictures, Tony! Is this the same plot that Brian O'Brien has talked about?

 

[Jorch]

Thanks for sharing! Esp the pic with your picture as size reference. Seems like it's quite compact in size

 

[Kevin]

Nice! I haven't heard of Cyp. candidum growing in fens. They like the open prairie here in Manitoba. The largest population is in the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve. Would you be willing to give the location of your population? Is the area protected? I hope it is, or soon will be. Those types of habitats are disappearing fast. Have you found any carnivorous plants growing there too?

 

[musiclovertony]

Thanks for checking out the pics! Ross, this is a different colony than the one Brian visits each year. The location he visits is about 50 miles south of this one.

You're right, Jorch, they are very tiny plants! The pouches are no larger than my thumbnail and I haven't got very big hands

Kevin, it's interesting that their habitat is tall grass prairie in Manitoba. Interestingly, I've only found this plant in three locations in Minnesota, all of which are calcareous fens. I have not seen any carnivorous plants at this site. I think they prefer more acidic ecosystems, where calcareous fens are quite alkaline. There is a tamarack swamp nearby here that I know has carnivorous plants. If you'd like to private message me, we can talk about the location of this fen (and the tamarack swamp). I am happy to publicly state that this Cyp. population in in a protected area. It's only very recently become protected, but it's under what is probably the highest level of protection that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources can provide.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

A real treat to see these in habitat. Thanks Tony!

 

[cnycharles]

nice! I wouldn't publicly post any site info, good call

 

[biothanasis]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Ernie]

Cyp candidum grows in fens here too. Very similar to what Tony shows. Quite moist, but the candidums grow on small mounds of drier earth.

 

[NYEric]

Great. Thanx for sharing. If you didn't post the photo w/ your hand I would have thought they were a few feet tall.

 

[SlipperFan]

They are deceptively small -- and it seems like they are almost hiding. Smart flowers!

 

[cnycharles]

ones I've seen at bergen swamp are very small, but right out in the open, full sun except for some spots where the phragmites is encroaching, then they can have long, twisty stems trying to get at the full light

 

[Dido]

Really nice pictures thanks for sharing this with us.
I really like the photos.

 

[McKatelyn]

I went on a orchid walk last weekend to a very similar fen and went back yesterday to get a better look. The fen is only a couple miles from my house and there are about 20 thousand candidum plants at that site (thats what the ranger said anyway). The fen is very alkaline. I have read that candidum grow in sun but was a little suprised to see them growing in full sun right out there in the open field. They are just finishing up flowering and not very showy but there are soooooo many of them there. It was such a thrill to see them as they are the only species of Cyps that are left here locally.

 

[musiclovertony]

wow, McKatelyn!!!!!! That sounds incredible!! May I ask where you live? I don't expect extreme specifics, but which ecoregion? I do think it's very interesting where they grow. They really do grow in full sun! A problem we have with many of our fens here is that they haven't had any fire presence since the early to mid 1900s. There is a lot of woody encroachment from glossy buckthorn, dogwood and aspen. With this cover, there is less light (and less water) available to the rare, fen-associated species that need intense exposure to Spring sunlight

 

[fundulopanchax]

Very nice! I am always eager to see Cyp's (and other orchids) growing in their native habitats. We dont quite get candidum extending into Connecticut since we only have a tiny alkaline area in the NW corner. We grow lots of them in our gardens though and they are quite charming and clump rapidly. We give them a good bit of lime to keep them happy (a friend actually crushes Rolaids over his monthly believing this works even better - he may be right because his always look superb).

Thanks for sharing the habitat pix!

Ron

 

[McKatelyn]

I live about 20 miles outside of Chicago. The site that has 20,000 candidums's is a forest preserve that was a cow farm many years ago. The ranger said that the only thing that saved them from the cows was the cows kept getting stuck in the mud of the fen so he fenced it off. They have a orchid walk every year there. Btw, the do regular controled burnes and have a large group of trained people who go out and kill the many species of weeds that pop up. They have many species of very endangered plants there.