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Adder's Mouth

Pogonia ophioglossoides (poh-GOH-nee-uh oh-fee-oh-gloss-OY-deez)

Family: Orchidaceae Native Herbaceous

A perennial wildflower-herb in the orchid family that grows in savannahs, bogs, low ditches, and swamps. It usually has only 1 flower on an erect, slender stem. It can be distinguished from other varieties by its bearded labellum (a central petal at the base of the flower). Along the center of the labellum are rows of pink, purple or yellow hairs that give a bearded look to the flower. There is usually a single clasping simple leaf halfway up the stem. The plant may also have a stalkless bract growing below the flower.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 42 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Native Plant; Wildflower
Life cycle
Perennial
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Sand
Soil drainage
Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
2 to 4 in. single leaf is located about midway on the stem; basal leaves are absent at flowering
Flower color
Pink
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Singly borne rose-pink flowers; lip formed by lower petal is densely bearded or crested. Flowers bloom from March to June.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Erect and pointing upwards or outward. It goes from green to light brown and will split to expose tiny seeds. Fruits display from July to October.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Single stemmed, hairless and green, darker near the base
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central Canada to Eastern Central & Eastern U.S.A
Wildlife value
Bumblebees frequent this plant
Attracts
Bees
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Riparian
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Pollinator Garden; Water Garden
Garden tags
#upright form #native wildflower #showy flowers #bumblebee friendly #fragrant flowers #NC native #wet soils tolerant #native perennial #nectar plant #food source pollen #Piedmont Mountains OBL #Coastal OBL #food source fall #food source summer #Audubon #acidic soils tolerant #bee friendly #boggy sites #wildlife friendly
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Wet Soil
Particularly resistant to
Heat and drought tolerant.
Propagation
Seed

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.