Tag Archives: Calypso Orchids

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A few years ago, Chris Pechal and I found a rare white Calypso Orchid  alongside one of the public access trails on The Sea Ranch. She recently spotted it and got this great photo.

For comparison, here are normal-colored Calypso Orchids as photographed by Amy Ruegg. Amy's dog Sydney is photo-bombing the photo!

Thanks to Chris and Amy for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

The day started out sunny but this afternoon some clouds have moved in. It's in the mid-sixties and just a gentle breeze.

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On Tuesday, Craig Tooley and Shirley Mitchell, each took walks before more rain arrived. They each found Calypso Orchids, Calypso bulbosa, up. They are quite small, so it feels like you've found treasure if you spot them. Craig found a particularly large group of these orchids.

Each Calypso Orchid has one leaf which lays flat on the forest floor. Shirley managed to get a nice closeup of one. Since they are so tiny, they are hard to photograph, but Shirley manged it!

These native wildflowers grow in undisturbed forests. They are also called Fairy Slippers or Venus's slipper. Consider yourself lucky if you come across one or more of these beauties while on a forest walk.

Thanks to Shirley and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you  here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com

We had a lot of rain overnight and it's showering today. We went over 50 inches season to date at our place in Anchor Bay, for which we are thankful!

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Jinx McCombs is fortunate indeed. She has what she calls a messy forest. In that untouched forest is a group of Calypso Orchids. They won't grow just anywhere. They need a fungus in the soil to grow, hence they cannot be transplanted.

These exquisite wildflowers are very small. Here is one with Jinx holding a piece of bark. You can see by her thumb how small they are.

They have a slender leaf that is found growing on the forest duff - I more often see the leaf first, rather than the flower itself.

Always a joy to find, this delicate orchid is blooming now on the Mendonoma Coast. Thanks to Jinx for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

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So tiny yet so exquisite, Calypso Orchids are blooming in undisturbed forests on the Mendonoma Coast. Jinx McCombs is lucky to have a patch of them on her property near Point Arena. She took this close-up so you can see its lovely blossom.

This wildflower needs a fungus in the soil to thrive so you should never try to transplant one. If you are fortunate enough to come across one, just appreciate it its natural habitat.

Thanks to Jinx for allowing me to share her photo with  you here.

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John Sperry photographed the first Calypso Orchid to bloom this year and sent it along for us to enjoy.

Calypso Orchids should never be transplanted. They need a particular fungus in the soil to grow. They can be found in undisturbed forests here on the Mendonoma Coast.

Thanks to John for allowing me to share his photo with you here.