Gymnadeniopsis (Platanthera) nivea - Snowy orchid -- Alan Cressler in the foreground

On the first day of our weekend trip to southeastern Georgia, we made some stops along Hwy. 301 between Nahunta, Georgia and Folkston, Georgia. We were pleasantly surprised to find so many Snowy orchids in full bloom. There were some areas where hundreds of this beauty were thriving in the wet ditches on both sides of the highway.

Having said that, there were also many miles of closely mowed ditches where we figure these wonderful orchids were recently in bloom. That's always the toss of the dice whether or not the orchids will be present or absent. Fortunately for us, the ones that had been saved were in great shape for photography. We drove for many dozens of miles along Hwy. 301, and found quite a few large populations of Snowy orchid.