Western Prairie Fringed Orchid

Reaching four feet tall and filled with honey sweet nectar, this beautiful white orchid waits until dusk to release its fragrance, attracting pollinators such as the hawkmoth, whose tongue is specially designed to harvest the orchid’s nectar. The western prairie fringed orchid thrives in prairie pothole regions, which are seasonal wetlands dotting the Upper Midwest. However, warmer temperatures and changes in hydrological patterns are drying up the wet soil, leaving this flower and other species that depend on the prairie potholes high and dry.

Scientific name: Platanthera praeclara
IUCN Red List: Not Evaluated
Endangered Species Act List: Not Evaluated
Region: Midwest