Epipactis gigantea (Giant Helleborine)

Epipactis gigantea (Giant Helleborine) is a terrestrial orchid with loose spikes of up to 32 showy flowers, 1 in. across (3 cm), spread out along the stem. The sepals are green or greenish, with petals ranging from greenish to pink to rose, often with purple-brown or red markings or veins. Blooming for several weeks from mid-spring to mid-summer, the flowers are borne on erect stems bearing mid-green, lance-shaped leaves. They bloom in sequence up the stem. Approximately two months after flowering, the foliage fades, then disappear completely with the arrival of winter. The root system forms a dense spreading clump of rhizomes. Giant Helleborine will spread over time. Native to western North America, Giant Helleborine grows naturally in wet areas in a variety of habitats, including riverbanks, hot springs, and meadows. Ideal for a rock or woodland garden or in a wildflower meadow.

• Grows up to 12-30 in. tall (30-75 cm) and 6 in. wide (15 cm).
• Performs best in moist, humus-rich, leafy soil in partial shade.
• Lovely addition to beds and borders, cottage gardens, woodland gardens, rock gardens, and bog gardens, near ponds and streams. Can be grown in containers too.
• Virtually pest and disease free. Deer resistant
• Propagate by division in spring.
• Native to western North America from western Canada to central Mexico. This is one of the most abundant orchids of the Pacific coast of North America.