Pronounced: kal-oh-POH-gon oh-klah-hoh-MEN-sis (botanical Latin guide)
A small native prairie orchid with pink flowers whose bristly lip sits above the other petals.
Photograph by Brian Woolman / Where’s Wildlife. Tap to browse the photos.
Family: Orchidaceae
Bloom: Spring–early summer; often June in the Upper Midwest
Height: 6–14 inches
Habitat: Prairies, meadows, pine savannas and open grassy habitats
Other common names: Oklahoma Grass Pink
Bloom timing and height vary by location.
01 · Pink flowers with the bristly lip at the top
02 · Relatively broad grasslike leaf, often reaching the flowers
03 · Several flowers may open at nearly the same time
Prairies, meadows, pine savannas and open grassy habitats. Look for flowers during spring–early summer; often june in the upper midwest.
Show the full flower from the front and include the leaf in a second photograph.
The yellow-tipped hairs imitate pollen. A visiting bee can tip the hinged lip and contact the pollen-bearing column.
The lip remains above the flower’s center, unlike the lower lip of many orchids.
Photograph the basal leaf along with the blooms; its relative width and length are useful clues.
Flower position, the two patches of lip hairs, leaf proportions and bloom timing work together for identification.
Scattered locations in the central and southeastern United States.
Observation maps show reported sightings, not the complete native range. Some recorded populations may be historical.
