Common Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes Odorata)

Common Ladies' Tresses

Features and Characteristics

Spiranthes odorata, commonly called Lady’s tresses or fragrant lady’s tresses, is an orchid that is native to marshes, bogs, swamps and other wet areas in the eastern United States from New Jersey and Tennessee south to Florida and Texas. It features small, very fragrant, hooded, white flowers densely arranged in vertical, slightly spiral-like rows on spikes typically growing 9-18″ (less frequently to 24″) tall. Blooms in late summer to fall, often to first frost. Lance-shaped, linear leaves in basal rosettes, with some leaves extending up the flower spikes. The spiraling flower arrangement is the result of uneven cell growth, which results in a twisting of the flower stems. Synonymous with and often listed and sold as Spiranthes cerna var. odorata.

Genus name comes from the Greek words speira meaning spiral or twisted object and anthos meaning a flower for the spiral inflorescence.

Specific epithet means fragrant.

Care and Maintenance

Best grown in moist, boggy, acidic soils in part shade. Plants spread slowly by rhizomes to form colonies in optimum growing conditions.

Common Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes Odorata) Requirements

Hardiness zone	5 - 9
Sun light	Part Shade
Water	Medium To Wet
Maintenance	Medium

Common Problems

No serious insect or disease problems.

Uses

Moist meadows, moist woodland gardens, moist wooded slopes or edges of ponds, streams or water gardens. A classic bog plant.

Common Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes Odorata) Details

Common name	Common Ladies' Tresses
Botanical name	Spiranthes Odorata
Plant type	Herbaceous Perennial
Family	Orchidaceae
Hardiness zone	5 - 9
Water	Medium To Wet
Maintenance	Medium
Flower color	White
Flowering period	September - Oc- Ber
Height	0.75 To 2 Ft.
Width	0.75 To 1 Ft.