Spreading by creeping rhizomes, often found in patches of several to many plants. Leaves are strikingly mottled white on green, elliptical to ovate, small, with petiole 2 cm long and 9 mm wide. Flowers are white, 5 mm long, grow in a single spike which typically is 5 cm in length. Stem and flowers pubescent, leaves glabrous.

Habitat is cool, coniferous forest.

Listed in the field guides growing to a height of 30 cm (!), tallest plant in above photo was 16 cm.

Flowers mid July through early August.

Fairly common in the boreal forest.

Photos taken July 16th, and August 3rd, boreal forest, Duck Mountain Provincial Park, 300 km north east of our home in Regina, SK.

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.