The “Super” ghost orchid at Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is now blooming, with the fourth bud opening on June 29. Ghost orchids (Dendrophylax lindenii) are rare flowering plants that rely on extremely sensitive, wetland habitats, and are only known to live in South Florida and Cuba.
Once a ghost orchid bud opens into a flower, it usually stays in bloom for about two weeks, yellowing toward the end of the bloom, and eventually fading away. If pollinated, it will produce a seed pod.
If you plan to visit Corkscrew to see the "Super" ghost orchid, consider bringing binoculars or a minimum 600 mm camera lens, since it is about 50 feet high in an old-growth bald cypress tree and about 100 feet away from the boardwalk. Whenever possible, skilled naturalist volunteers will put a spotting scope focused on the "Super" ghost orchid for visitors to see it.
PLUS: Learn from the master of the ghost orchid capture in a special workshop with R J Wiley, photographer in residence, during our New Moon on the Boardwalk event on August 4 at 6:45 p.m. The free program is included with admission but space is limited. Sign up is available in person at the admissions desk in the Blair Visitor Center beginning that evening at 6:30 p.m.
Learn more about this special orchid. |
