Orchids in South Carolina?

Orchids in South Carolina? Yes, we do have orchids although they have their own special charm which is more subtle than some of the drop dead gorgeous tropical species. Dr. Herrick Brown, the new curator of the A. C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, kindly appeared on our program recently, and we talked about a few of them. One of my favorites is the group of Ladies’ Tresses orchids, which have leaves in a basal rosette. When they flower, you’ll see an upright stem twelve inches or so high with small white blossoms appearing twirled about it – like old fashioned hair do’s. This orchid can spread in a lawn – it likes full sun. Brown spotted several in a neighbor’s yard and after he pointed them out, they now carefully mow around them.