10/31/2026
🎃 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙮 𝙊𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙙: 𝙁𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙖 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙙 (𝘿𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙡𝙖𝙭 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙞) 🎃
Haunting the swamps of South Florida, these spirits dance above the quiet, dark waters.
🎃 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙮 𝙊𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙙 #13: 𝙁𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙖 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙙 (𝘿𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙡𝙖𝙭 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙞) 🎃
Haunting the swamps of south Florida, these spirits dance above the quiet, dark waters.
𝘋𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘢𝘹 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘪 grows in Cuba and the West Indies and Florida where it was known to occur in three southern counties. The Florida Ghost Orchid is leafless with chlorophyllous roots that are gray-green in color with short white markings and are 3-5 mm wide to over 50 cm long. During May-August, a small percentage of the plants produce one white flower, rarely two, with sepals and petal that are similar. The labellum is 3-lobed with the center lobe triangular in shape, flanked by two elongated, tapered lobes. This orchid grows on several tree species in hardwood hammocks, tramways and sloughs, and cypress domes.
Pollination: It was once believed that the night flying Giant Sphinx Moth, Cocytius antaeus, was the only insect in North America with a long enough proboscis to reach the nectar in this orchid's long spur and pollinate its flowers. Recent field work has documented other moth species such as Eumorpha labruscae and Protambulyx shigilis visiting the flowers; two other moths, Dolba hyloeus and Pachylia ficus were observed with ghost orchid pollinia on their heads.
While 𝘋𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘢𝘹 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘪 is considered vulnerable across its range, it is endangered in Florida - threatened by illegal collection and disruption of wetland hydrology.
Photo © David McAdoo
Dare to let the Florida Ghost Orchid haunt your house this Halloween. Check out NAOCC’s orchid-gami web page and download the orchid-gami model of the Florida Ghost Orchid now!
https://northamericanorchidcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/GhostOrchid_printout.pdf
