Platanthera grandiflora (Large purple fringed orchid)

On Saturday, Alan Cressler, Walter Ezell, and I made a day trip (got home around 1:30 am) to Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina to photograph Platanthera grandiflora and Platanthera psycodes. I've never seen P. grandiflora on Mt. Mitchell, but I have seen it along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mt. Mitchell. Usually, it blooms a week earlier than P. psycodes, but on this trip, we found a small population of six plants on the side of the highway that was in perfect bloom. I really felt fortunate, since this population is not always present, and it is not always in such great shape. The lighting was great since the plants were in subdued, morning shade. Good start to what turned out to be a wonderful day...