Overview
Aplectrum hyemale is a terrestrial woodland orchid in the Orchidaceae, growing 10-20 inches (25-50 cm) tall in flower from a chain of rounded underground corms. It follows a seasonal cycle reversed from most plants: a single pleated leaf, 4-7 inches (10-18 cm) long, dark bluish-green with white veins and often purple beneath, appears in autumn, stays green through winter, and withers in spring before the plant flowers. In late spring to early summer a leafless stalk rises and carries a loose cluster of 7-25 flowers, each about 0.6-0.8 inch (15-20 mm) across, with greenish-yellow to purplish-brown petals and a white, purple-marked lip. The paired old and new corms, one for each year, give rise to the name Adam-and-Eve, and the sticky paste once made from the corms is the source of putty root. It grows in moist, rich deciduous woods, floodplains, and shaded slopes across eastern North America, usually as scattered single plants. It needs deep shade, leaf-litter, and undisturbed soil with the right fungal partners, and it transplants poorly. The winter leaf can be damaged in very cold, snowless conditions.
Native Range
Native to eastern North America, from Quebec and Ontario south to Georgia and west to Minnesota and Oklahoma. It grows in moist, rich deciduous woods, on floodplains, and on shaded wooded slopes.Suggested Uses
Aplectrum hyemale is grown only in established woodland and native plant gardens with deep shade, rich humus, and undisturbed soil. It suits shaded native plantings alongside trilliums, ferns, and other woodland wildflowers. It is not suited to ordinary borders, containers, or any site that is cultivated or moved.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height10" - 1'8"
Width/Spread6" - 1'
Bloom Information
A leafless flower stalk appears in late spring to early summer, usually May to June, after the winter leaf has withered. It carries a loose cluster of greenish to purplish-brown flowers over one to two weeks. Capsules with dust-like seeds follow in summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
greenish to purplish-brownFoliage Description
bluish-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 1-4 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight