Wednesday, July 27, 2011

broadleaf helleborine ~ 07/27/11 ~ Butano


We were really excited to find an orchid that we haven't seen yet. I also posted a picture taken the following day showing the color variation on Flickr. It was common at Butano State Park along the creekside trails under the redwoods. However, I was a bit disappointed to discover the broadleaf helleborine comes from Europe. In fact, it is the only non-native orchid listed in Calflora. I've mentioned before about my developing negative prejudice against non-native plants and animals, which taken to the extreme is what The Biology Refugia calls "biological xenophobia." Before doing this blog and placing labels on everything under the sun, I was pretty content finding something new and simply being in awe. I want to get back to that innocence and unbiased admiration of nature. Interestingly enough, Jennifer at A Passion for Nature recently posted about the broadleaf helleborine blooming in western New York. She's a blogger after my own heart in how she researches for her posts. Also, David at Orchids, Nature, and My Outdoor Life posted finding a broadleaf helleborine across the pond.

4 comments:

Randy said...

Thanks for the link. I did not realize that this species was non-native. If it's really true that it cures insanity then maybe we should start cultivating it and prescribe it to all politicians.

Katie (Nature ID) said...

Funny, Randy. I can think of other things I'd like to do with the politicians. Glad to hear you're learning something new, too.

Orchids and Nature said...

It's interesting to see that our Broadleaf Helleborine has naturalised in California, I can see from your photos that it's chosen to grow in the same shaded, fairly bare ground conditions with very little competition from other plants just as it does over here in England.

Katie (Nature ID) said...

Hi, David. I was amazed to see these bloom at the same time as yours do (don't know why that should be surprising). I'll have to hop over to your blog to see if your Spiranthes is blooming, yet.