Pronounced (approximate): LIP-uh-riss loh-SELL-ee-eye
A small native wetland orchid with two glossy basal leaves and delicate yellow-green flowers.
Family Orchidaceae
Life cycle Perennial orchid
Blooms June–July in the Upper Midwest
Height 3–10 inches
Habitat Fens, wet meadows, swamps and wet shores in sun or partial shade
Other common names
Yellow Widelip Orchid · Bog Twayblade · Fen Orchid
Each yellow-green flower has three sepals, two very narrow side petals and a broader, curved lip. The central column carries the reproductive structures. Try finding those parts in a close-up before looking at the whole flowering stalk.
Two glossy, hairless leaves wrap around the stem base. The flowering stem is angled rather than perfectly round. These features help locate a plant whose small green flowers blend into surrounding vegetation.
In the Upper Midwest, flowering usually occurs in June and July. Later, upright cylindrical capsules contain many tiny seeds. A fruiting plant can look quite different from one in bloom, so photograph both the leaves and the stalk.
Lily-leaved Twayblade can have similar foliage, but Loesel’s Twayblade generally occupies wetter ground. Use habitat alongside flower shape and leaf characters; a pair of leaves alone is not a complete identification.
Start with a whole-plant view, then compare a leaf photograph and a flower close-up. Can you spot the two narrow petals beside the wider lip? Record the date and habitat when photographing an orchid so you can compare its appearance through the season.
Select a photograph to open the slideshow.
Canada and the north-central and eastern United States; also parts of Europe and Asia.
Documented U.S. states: AL, AR, CT, DE, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, PA, RI, SD, TN, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI.
Observation maps show reported sightings and do not define the complete range.
Practice with the Wildflower Quiz or explore more species in the Flower Guide.
Field photographs: Where’s Wildlife.