Pterostylis nutans
nodding greenhood
Southeastern Australia and New Zealand
Overview
Pterostylis nutans, the nodding greenhood, is a small tuberous terrestrial orchid of southeastern Australia and New Zealand. Each plant grows from an underground tuber and, when young or non-flowering, forms a flat rosette of oval leaves. Flowering plants send up a stem 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) tall bearing a single translucent green-and-white hooded flower that bends sharply forward, giving the nodding look behind the name. The hood, or galea, is formed from fused sepals and petals and is marked with narrow green stripes, while a hinged, insect-like lip sits inside. Touched by a small fly, the lip snaps inward and briefly traps the insect, which pollinates the flower as it escapes. Flowering runs from late autumn into spring. P. nutans grows in shaded, moist forest and woodland on humus-rich, well-drained acidic soil, and spreads into colonies from daughter tubers. After seeding it dies back to the tuber for a summer rest. Like other terrestrial orchids it depends on soil fungi and rarely survives transplanting or ordinary garden cultivation.
Native Range
Native to southeastern Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, and also to New Zealand. It grows in moist, shaded forest, woodland, and gullies on humus-rich soils.Suggested Uses
Grown mainly in native orchid collections, terrestrial-orchid pots, and bushland conservation within its range. It adds cool-season interest to shaded native gardens where soil fungi are present. It is a plant for specialists rather than general garden use.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'
Width/Spread2" - 4"
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
translucent green and whiteFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-5 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
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
In the wild the orchid grows in shade to dappled light on moist, humus-rich, sharply drained acidic soil. Growth and flowering happen in the cool, damp months, after which the plant dies back to its tuber for a drier summer rest. It depends on specific soil fungi, so it seldom survives transplanting and is grown only by specialists. Colonies build slowly from daughter tubers where the soil and shade suit it. Disturbance, drying, and loss of leaf litter reduce wild populations. Light frost is tolerated, but the dormant tubers rot in waterlogged summer soil.Pruning
No pruning is needed. The single flower stem and rosette wither naturally as the plant enters summer dormancy. Fallen leaf litter is left in place to protect the tubers and feed the soil fungi.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons