This next Battle of the Plants pits a perennial flower against a fancy orchid, both of which may be found at rare. It is amazing the diversity of species that can be found in our natural areas next door. It highlights the importance of protecting these lands now and for the future.
On the perennial side, the Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) is found in hardwood forest, favouring moist coves and hillsides across eastern North America from Manitoba in the north to Oklahoma in the south. Rising from the ground on a single stalk, large, three-branched leaves spring off from the side, followed by groups of small six-petalled yellow flowers known as an inflorescence. The flowers are followed by bluish berries. The nectar is favoured by certain bee species, and the plant has been used as a medicinal herb by Indigenous peoples, and the seeds have been used by some as a coffee substitute. It’s not recommended that one forage for this plant if one doesn’t know what they’re doing. WebMD says that the blue cohosh “is not a safe plant”.
The orchid is the Yellow Lady Slipper (Crpripedium parviflorum), which is also known as a moccasin flower. As the name suggests, it looks like dainty footwear, and it can be found across north America from Alaska all the way south to Arizona and Georgia. It grows in wetlands, on shorelines, and in damp woodlands. The lady slipper’s shape is designed to encourage pollinators like bees to go for a particular part of the flower, where pollen can be deposited or, if the bee has visited another lady slipper, scraped off to continue the fertilization process. The Natural Web has an informative article on the lifestyle of this plant.
So, which flower catches your fancy? Will the Blue Cohosh have to wait another year for victory? Or will it be the lady slipper that gets stepped on? Your votes determine who goes on to Round Two, so cast those votes below.