Beautiful "weed" - Epipactis helleborine
 

I had wonderful surprise in my garden a week ago. I had resisted
pulling a weed that was growing amongst some hostas along the
foundation of my house, and it bloomed...the most beautiful orchid-like
flowers, with a lavendar and green color.

After much searching on the web, I've finally identified it - Epipactis
helleborine:
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/...actishell.html

Anyone else have this plant? Any ideas on how I can encourage it to
keep coming back?

:) Carol

wrote in message
oups.com...
I had wonderful surprise in my garden a week ago. I had resisted
pulling a weed that was growing amongst some hostas along the
foundation of my house, and it bloomed...the most beautiful orchid-like
flowers, with a lavendar and green color.

After much searching on the web, I've finally identified it - Epipactis
helleborine:
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/...actishell.html

Anyone else have this plant? Any ideas on how I can encourage it to
keep coming back?

I have something that looks like this growing in the wooded part of my
property. I don't recall ever seeing it bloom, however. Now I will start
searching to see if I can find one in bloom. I have been weeding it out of
my beds. It is really pretty. I'm in zone 6.

I should have mentioned....I am in zone 6 as well (Northern New Jersey)
and this plant is located in a part shade spot that gets some filtered
sunlight in the morning. I make compost out of mulched oak leaves, so I
presume the soil is quite acidic (and therefore woodland-like).

CW

wrote in message
oups.com...
:I had wonderful surprise in my garden a week ago. I had resisted
: pulling a weed that was growing amongst some hostas along the
: foundation of my house, and it bloomed...the most beautiful orchid-like
: flowers, with a lavendar and green color.
:
: After much searching on the web, I've finally identified it - Epipactis
: helleborine:
: http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/...actishell.html
:
: Anyone else have this plant? Any ideas on how I can encourage it to
: keep coming back?
:
::) Carol


Hey Carol!
I had something like that happen to me this year too!
We only bought our house last year and have just put in some rock garden.
We bought mulch from a local nursery and have had really quite allot of junk
in it but I have tried to watch for weeds.

These two little guys came up all on their own and WOW what a great
surprise!
http://www.kizthiz.com/1vine.jpg
http://www.kizthiz.com/1vine.jpg

I am hoping to get seeds from them and to grow them again next year
Arent blooming surprises just wonderful!

Kate

expounded:

I had wonderful surprise in my garden a week ago. I had resisted
pulling a weed that was growing amongst some hostas along the
foundation of my house, and it bloomed...the most beautiful orchid-like
flowers, with a lavendar and green color.

After much searching on the web, I've finally identified it - Epipactis
helleborine:
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/...actishell.html

Anyone else have this plant? Any ideas on how I can encourage it to
keep coming back?

They grow as far north as Middleton, NH, which is zone 5a, I believe.
I don't think you need to do anything to them to keep them, they grow
where they're happy :o) I've seen them in several places around here
in New England, all in moist, woodsy soil, and while I've never done a
pH test, I'm sure the soil is very acid.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

Ann wrote:

: They grow as far north as Middleton, NH, which is zone 5a, I believe.
: I don't think you need to do anything to them to keep them, they grow
: where they're happy :o) I've seen them in several places around here
: in New England, all in moist, woodsy soil, and while I've never done a
: pH test, I'm sure the soil is very acid.

I have seen it in Finland growing on dry limestone cliffs.
Unfortunately, it is not an weed in Europe.

--
Erkki 'Örkki' Aalto "Life is divided up into
Internet: the horrible and the miserable"
Snail: P.O. Box 64
FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland

Ann wrote:

: They grow as far north as Middleton, NH, which is zone 5a, I believe.
: I don't think you need to do anything to them to keep them, they grow
: where they're happy :o) I've seen them in several places around here
: in New England, all in moist, woodsy soil, and while I've never done a
: pH test, I'm sure the soil is very acid.

I have seen it in Finland growing on dry limestone cliffs.
Unfortunately, it is not a weed in Europe.

--
Erkki 'Örkki' Aalto "Life is divided up into
Internet: the horrible and the miserable"
Snail: P.O. Box 64
FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland

You guys might take the growing questions on this plant to
rec.gardens.orchids. I'm sure someone over there is familliar with it.
Murri
"Ann" wrote in message
...
expounded:

I had wonderful surprise in my garden a week ago. I had resisted
pulling a weed that was growing amongst some hostas along the
foundation of my house, and it bloomed...the most beautiful orchid-like
flowers, with a lavendar and green color.

After much searching on the web, I've finally identified it - Epipactis
helleborine:
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/...actishell.html

Anyone else have this plant? Any ideas on how I can encourage it to
keep coming back?

They grow as far north as Middleton, NH, which is zone 5a, I believe.
I don't think you need to do anything to them to keep them, they grow
where they're happy :o) I've seen them in several places around here
in New England, all in moist, woodsy soil, and while I've never done a
pH test, I'm sure the soil is very acid.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************