Giant Bird's Nest

(Pterospora andromedea)

 

Color Photograph: U.S. National Parks Service

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Giant Bird's Nest (Pterospora andromedea)

Identification: Flowers white, round, belllike, drooping, very similar to the flowers of the family Pyrolaceae. Stem very tall, covered with fine hairs, typically red and swelling at the base of a scaly bulb. Leaves reduced to scattered elongate scales along the stem. Plant 1 to 4 feet in height.

Distribution: Found across southern Canada to British Columbia and southward to California and in the Rocky Mountains to Arizona. In the east this species occurs in the northern tier of state from Michigan to Vermont and New York.

Habitat: Giant Bird's Nest is found in pine woods.

Flowering period: June to August.

Comments: The color photograph is of a very young plant before the flowers have emerged.

Giant Bird's Nest (Pterospora andromedea)

Similar Species:

This species is unlikely to be confused with any other plant species.

Similar Species

No Similar Species