Livingston orchids and other floristic gems

Visiting my home in Livingston, LA is always a great pleasure. I usually spend the at least a few hours each day walking through the back woods, to see what is in bloom, what birds have taken up residence.  At any time of the day and year there is an abundance of life to be observed. It is a long tradition of mine to go barefoot.

I was lucky enough to grow up on a piece of property that has not been heavily disturbed over the years by the intense logging operations that are typical in this part of the state. Dad used to burn the back half of the property instead of mowing it in the fall and so really interesting plant communities found refuge on the back side of the property. I wasn't mature enough to pay any attention to plant names as a teenager, but their colors and fragrances filled my youth and inspired me to make music, poetry and visual art. Later in college my first botanical forays began here, trying to learn those the names of those beautiful wildflowers I grew up with. 

There is always something new to find: today it was orchids in our boggy pond.

Habenaria repens "Water-spider Bog Orchid"

Orchids are remarkable plants. For one, their seeds are nearly microscopic and often produced by the million. Seeds this size can travel by wind and water and so dispersal is not their biggest issue. They are so small, however, they cannot germinate on their own but must immediately form a symbiotic relationship with a special fungus, or mychorhizal fungus. The fungus helps provide moisture via a root-like "mycelia" and the small plant in return begins photosynthesis, supplying life-giving sugars to the fungus.

Habenera repens "Water-spider Bog Orchid"

Orchid pollination, too, is often spectacular, in some species akin to choreographed dance. As the bee or wasp enters the flower, a kind of booby trap is set and the specialized pollen sacs are attached via a specialize part called a viscidium (think Batman attaching tracking device). The point of attachment must match perfectly with the female organs of the plant so that when the pollinator enters the female flower, fertilization can occur. With all these complicated relationship, it is easy to understand why orchids are not terribly abundant. Nonetheless, they are the largest, most diverse plant family in the world. Naturally, I'm very proud to find one in the backyard where I grew up, even if this one is a bit more common than, say, Louisiana's endangered Kentcuky Lady's Slipper orchid (Cypripidium kentuckiense). Here is a picture I did not take showing this rare beauty:

Credit: Hillside Nursery

Some other beauties I have found at my home in Livingston are:

Mimulus alatus "Sharpwing Monkeyflower"

I found this Sharpwing Monkeyflower near the frontside of the property where water holds, a favorite haunt of many amphibians.

Rhexia sp. "Meadow Beauty"

Ludwigia sp. "Primrose Willow"

There are actually several kinds of Primrose Willows (10 species) and Meadow Beauties (5 species) in Livingston Parish and getting to know them all is something I look forward to, eventually.

Lobelia cardinalis "Cardinal Flower"

The cardinal flower is one of my favorites, a true mascot of wetland edges and a host for the ruby-throated hummingbird.

Agalinus fasciculata "Beach False Foxglove"

This amazing plant is parasitic and has specialized root structures that allow it to pierce into the roots of nearby trees to obtain nutrients. Yet it is also capable of photosynthesis and so is called a hemiparasite. This is possibly an adaptation to the harsh environments of dunes and fire-driven savannahs where it is native, environments where nutrients are hard to come by.

If you haven't considered it yet, I encourage you to get out and explore the wild fringes of your backyard throughout the year. You will be surprised what shows up there and how much diversity can be found. Just think of the journey these many gems have taken to get to that spot, flying in the stomachs or feathers of traveling birds, on the furry paws of mammals, on wind or by rain. Louisiana has much to offer in the form of native plants. Check out Louisiana Native Plant Society for more information.