Signature- Cedar Bog

Rare places and rare plants in Ohio- my favorite things! A group of friends visited Cedar Bog this week to see Ohio's most majestic orchid in bloom.

Showy Lady's-slipper Orchid, Cypripedium reginae

The signature plant for Cedar Bog would surely be this, perhaps the loveliest of all of Ohio's orchids. As the Latin name indicates, these are indeed the queen (reginae) of orchids. They were in extraordinary condition earlier this week, with exceptionally vibrant colors. Note in the photo, a back-drop of the equally significant White Cedar (or Arbor Vitae), Thuja occidentalis.

Cedar Bog is not really a bog, it is a fen! This nature preserve harbors some of the most unusual botany in Ohio, and you can see it with an expert during the field trips of the Midwest Native Plant Conference. So sign up now- before these trips are filled- to see rarest of wetland plants, trees and dragonflies from the comfort of a boardwalk.

Hope to see you there! Click on the MWNP link in my side-bar to sign-up.