Corallorhiza species -- "Coral root orchids". Five species are found in Yellowstone, shown below.

These orchids are saprophytic, having no chlorophyl to photosynthesize. They are usually found "in the dark with mosquitos" -- at least partial shade, and are sometimes hidden under other vegetation. My impression is that the western coral root is the most numerous in the park. See detail pages for Locations and approximate blooming times. These vary by species

  • _CFM1991
  • |
  • Corallorhiza mertensiana, Western coral root, near Indian Pond, Orchid, Yellowstone
  • |
  • 7/22/14 3:13:45 PM MDT
  • |

  • YNP > 14_0722
  • _CFM1524
  • |
  • Corallorhiza maculata, Spotted coralroot, Storm point trail, Yellowstone
  • |
  • 6/25/14 9:51:57 AM MDT
  • |
  • YNP > 14_0625
  • _CFM1718
  • |
  • Corallorhiza striata, Striped coralroot, Mammoth area, Narrow Gauge Trail, Yellowstone
  • |
  • 6/27/14 1:10:20 PM MDT
  • YNP > 14_0627
  • _CFM1669 |
  • Corallorhiza trifida, early pale coralroot, Roosevelt area, Lost Lake Trail
  • |
  • 6/26/14 5:53:34 PM MDT
  • |
  • YNP > 14_0626
  • _CFM4914 |
  • Corallorhiza wisteriana, Wister's coralroot, Storm Point Trail
  • |
  • 6/30/16

Locations:  See detail pages

Blooming dates: See detail pages


Creative Commons License Creative Commons License Native Orchids of Yellowstone by Colleen F Moore is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.