Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Orchidaceae

Genus:

Bletia

Species:

Bletia spicata

USDA Symbol:

HESP3

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

90 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

jun,jul,aug,sep

Bloom Colors:

purple, pink

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

butterflies, native bees

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from underground corms after fire. Common in fire-maintained pine savannas and benefits from periodic burning.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers organic matter-rich environments

Propagation & Germination

Notes:

Orchid seeds require mycorrhizal fungi for germination in nature; asymbiotic germination protocols exist but are complex.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI