Family
Orchidaceae
Botanical Name
CALOPOGON pallidus
Plant Common Name
Grasspink, Pale Grasspink
General Description
Blooming in spring or summer, depending on geography, pale grasspink is late-flowering compared to most other grasspinks. Its widely spaced, pale pink to white flowers are produced on a larger spike than most other grasspinks. This orchid is native to the southeastern coastal plain, from North Carolina to Louisiana, where it thrives in moist, acid soils. Like other grasspinks, it grows from an elongated corm (bulb-like root).
The slender, grass-like leaves of this orchid are parallel-veined and bright medium green. From spring to summer, each plant produces a tall, upright stem with three to twenty blossoms. Flower color ranges from white or light pink to very pale magenta. Each flower displays five petals which surround a curved, anvil-headed floral tube. The upper petal sports a bright yellow tuft or "beard" of trichomes that resembles a mass of pollen. Once a pollinating bee lands on the blossom's lip petal, the upper bearded petal folds to dot pollen onto the back of the insect. When the bee visits the next flower, its backside wipes pollen onto its floral tube. Seed capsules follow and release seeds to the ground by autumn.
Easily grown from seed, pale grasspink prospers in organic-rich, acid soil found in moist pine forests and coastal plains. This orchid needs full to partial sun and tends to bloom after natural wildfires. Plant it in a naturalistic wildflower meadow or bog garden. Healthy plants will naturalize in the landscape. When not in flower, this orchid looks like a grass and simply melts into the landscape.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 6
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USDA Hardiness Zone
7 - 11
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Plant Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
6"-26" / 15.2cm - 66.0cm
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Width
2"-8" / 5.1cm - 20.3cm
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Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
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Native To
Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Special Characteristics
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Usage
Bog Garden, Wildflower
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Self-Sowing
Yes
