1 / 2

Neottia spp.

twayblade

Orchidaceae

Temperate and montane Northern Hemisphere

Attracts Pollinators

Native to North America

SunFull Shade – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Neottia spp. is a genus of terrestrial orchids in the family Orchidaceae, spread across temperate and montane parts of the Northern Hemisphere, now including the twayblades once placed in Listera spp.. The genus holds two contrasting groups. Most species, the twayblades, are green plants 10-60 cm (4-24 in) tall bearing a single opposite pair of broad to heart-shaped leaves partway up the stem and a slender spike of small green to yellow-green flowers, each with a deeply forked lip. The other group, typified by N. nidus-avis, the bird's-nest orchid, lacks chlorophyll entirely: these honey-brown plants draw all their carbon from soil fungi linked to tree roots and carry no true leaves, only brownish scales. Flowers across the genus are small and sit above a dense tangle of short roots, the feature behind the bird's-nest name. Plants grow in shaded woodland and damp grassland in leaf-rich soil. All depend heavily on specific soil fungi, so Neottia spp. is rarely transplanted or cultivated and persists where left undisturbed in the wild.

Native Range

Neottia spp. occurs across the temperate and montane Northern Hemisphere, through Europe, North Africa, much of Asia, and North America. The twayblade species range widely in woodland and grassland, while N. nidus-avis follows shaded broadleaf and conifer woodland on humus-rich, often calcareous soil. Several species reach high latitudes and mountain elevations.

Suggested Uses

Neottia spp. is a plant of natural and naturalistic woodland rather than cultivated borders, kept where it occurs as part of native ground flora. In woodland gardens it is conserved in situ alongside other shade plants rather than introduced. It has no role as a transplant or container subject.

How to Identify

Twayblade species are known by a single opposite pair of broad leaves on the stem below a spike of small green flowers with a forked, strap-like lip. N. nidus-avis is unmistakable as a leafless, honey-brown plant rising from shaded woodland litter with no green colour at all. The matted, bird's-nest tangle of short fleshy roots confirms the genus.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 2'

Width/Spread4" - 8"

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~3 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering occurs from late spring into summer, mainly May to July across the range. The small green or brown flowers open from the base of the spike upward over two to four weeks. Self-pollination is common, and seed capsules follow soon after.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Green to honey-brown

Foliage Description

Green, leafless and brown in some species

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Shade SunPartial Shade

Tolerates up to 3 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam chalk

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

Several years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Neottia spp. depends on partnerships with specific soil fungi for germination and nutrition, so it grows in cool, shaded woodland and damp grassland on humus-rich soil and resists ordinary cultivation. Suitable ground is moist but not waterlogged, often over chalk or limestone for several species, with a pH near 6.0 to 7.5. Plants need deep shade to dappled light and undisturbed leaf litter. They cannot be lifted and replanted like ordinary perennials, since severing the fungal links kills them. In gardens they appear only where conditions and fungi happen to suit, rather than through deliberate planting.

Pruning

No pruning is appropriate, as these orchids form low spikes from underground stems and rely on undisturbed litter. Spent flower spikes are left to set and shed seed. Surrounding leaf litter is left in place over the root zone.