Resource Library
Plant of the Week: Slender Ladies' Tresses (Green Pearl Twist)
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture does not promote, support or recommend plants featured in "Plant of the Week." Please consult your local Extension office for plants suitable for your region.
Plant of the Week
Slender Ladies' Tresses, Green Pearl Twist
Latin: Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis
In the Victorian era, ladies and gentlemen spent a great deal of time and energy getting
to know nature up close and personal. This quaint trait has largely disappeared from
our society. Relatively few people know much about the natural world in which we live.
A lawn here in Fayetteville is populated with Ladies’ Tresses Orchids. Every fall,
just as the flowers attain full bloom, the lawn is mowed to remove these spiky "weeds"
that suddenly spring from the ground in late summer. A proper Victorian lady would
have known her wildflowers and cherished her good fortune.
The Spiranthes orchids are not your typical orchid, and it is not surprising that
people don’t readily recognize them as such. They grow about 18-inches tall on slender
stems that have a peculiar twisted inflorescence on the top third of the stem. The
Latin name means "twisted flower," an apt description for the group.
The white flowers are about a quarter of an inch long with five petal-like tepals
closely appressed to the slightly inflated lip that’s marked with green inside. The
lip is ruffled at the end. Open flowers first appear at the base of the spike and
open spirally up the stem as blooming progresses. Individual plants are in flower
for about two to three weeks, usually in late August or early September.
The leaves appear in the spring in a basal whorl from the three fleshy roots that
attach to the subterranean crown. Leaves are 1-2 inches long and about half as wide.
At the time of flowering, the leaves are done for the year and wither away.
This genus of terrestrial orchids is cosmopolitan, with over 200 species described
worldwide. Slender Ladies’ Tresses are one of the most common species in the genus.
They’re found throughout the southeastern states with scattered stands as far north
as southern Canada. They usually occur in dry, upland soils with an acidic pH and
are associated with open glades in the hickory-oak forest or oak-pine forests.
Bumble bees are thought to be the main pollinators of the species. Of all the native
terrestrial orchids, this group seems to reproduce more freely by seed than other
species. It will migrate into disturbed sites and is sometimes seen on roadsides.
A few specialist growers carry Spiranthes orchids in their catalogs, but only S. cernua f. odorata ‘Chadd’s Ford’ can be considered remotely common even in the specialty trade. This
species is distributed more in the upper Midwest and the East and differs by having
stouter stems, somewhat larger flowers and a prominent lip.
This cultivar also has a spicy sweet fragrance that is an added bonus. It was rescued
from a roadway construction site in Delaware and apparently spreads by underground
runners, making commercial propagation possible. It’s best used in a slightly moist,
highly organic soil that’s shaded during the hottest part of the day. An area receiving
morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal.
By: Gerald Klingaman, retired
Extension Horticulturist - Ornamentals
Extension News - August 4, 2000
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture does not maintain lists of retail outlets where these plants can be purchased. Please check your local nursery or other retail outlets to ask about the availability of these plants for your growing area.