Small, erect orchid with two opposite basal leaves. Flower with large, showy, pouch-like lower lip, pinkish-red in colour and cleft in the middle. Flower to 4 cm long. The two sepals behind the flower are fused together. Leaves oval to elliptical, typically 12 cm long and 5 cm wide (pressed flat). Stems and leaves pubescent.
Had to travel 650 km north of our home in Regina, SK to find these, that's their southern most range in our province. I've seen them in several locations La Ronge and points north, dry forest, growing on rocky outcrops.
Listed in the field guides to 40 cm tall, I've measured them to 30 cm in height, more typically 15 to 25 cm tall.
Begin flowering early June. Above photos taken June 26th.
I get preachy here: please don't dig up native orchids to try to grow them in your garden. They are becoming rare in the wild due to loss of habitat and wild harvesting. By all accounts they are also quite difficult to transplant successfully from the wild. If you want to grow them in your garden, there are nurseries who grow native orchids from seed who will sell plants to you.
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