Spiranthes odorata (Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchid) 'Chadds Ford'

Peak bloom of the Spiranthes odorata 'Chadds Ford' clone in my front yard bog garden. This species' common name is Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchid. Just when the other plants in the bog garden are looking rather ragged and forlorn, these beauties spring forth and provide some easy viewing.

The original plants came from a boggy area in Delaware in the 1960s. They were found by Dick Ryan, an eccentric character with a passion for native orchids and were named for an area just across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. This was the township where Dr. Brubacker, a plantsman with a keen interest in tropical orchids lived and raised this species and won the coveted Certificate of Cultural Merit from the American Orchid Society. As happens too frequently, the boggy area of the original find is now overrun with tract homes...

These native orchids are quite easy to grow in a bog garden setting, and they will eventually take over if not carefully watched. What a lovely "weed" to have, and they smell delightfully rich and earthy -- a fragrance with a mix of vanilla and jasmine.