Spiranthes odorata

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Spiranthes odorata, the marsh lady’s tresses or common lady’s tresses, is an orchid native to the southeastern United States, from Texas to Delaware. It grows in moist, partly shaded places with acidic or neutral soil. This herbaceous perennial reaches up to 50 cm tall. Flowers appear in dense, vertical rows on sturdy green spikes in a slightly twisted pattern, which is why the genus name Spiranthes means twisted flower. The white, hooded, fragrant blossoms bloom from late summer to autumn. Bumblebees such as Bombus pensylvanicus, B. fervidus, B. impatiens, and B. nevadensis pollinate it. In the UK, the cultivar ‘Chadd’s Ford’ has earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

It needs fertile soil in partial shade and is hardy to about −10 °C (14 °F); in very frosty areas a dry mulch in winter helps. Conservation status is Secure (NatureServe). Botanically it is not actually a Spiranthes odorata but a different species called Spiranthes bightensis.