Orchids of San Juan County, Utah

One usually associates orchids with Hawaii or some other exotic, moist, jungle environment. However, we are fortunate to have orchids in San Juan.
To be sure, ours are found where water abounds. Unfortunately such areas are uncommon. Also our orchids are smaller and less showy than in tropical climes. Nevertheless they are a joy to find and a beauty to behold.
Further information about orchids in our area can be found on Al Schneider’s excellent web site: “Wildflowers, Ferns, and Trees of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah”. Stan Welsh’s book on: “A Flora of Utah” is very comprehensive.
There are more than one species of Bog orchids in San Juan, but I have chosen to lump them together. The identification of Corallorhiza wisteria is tentative.
There is another orchid in San Juan that I have yet to catch in full bloom. This is called Rattlesnake-plantian in the genus, Goodyera.