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A clump forming terrestrial orchid, Spiranthes cernua is a beautiful sight in your summer and early autumn garden. Known commonly as ‘Nodding lady’s tresses’, tall stems produce masses of small, crisp-white, orchid-shaped flowers from August until late autumn, over clumps of narrow, grasslike foliage. Fascinatingly, the nodding blooms are arranged in single rows, in a coiled spiral formation up the stems. Not only are they beautiful to look at, they are also highly fragranced with a sweet vanilla perfume. A strong, tolerant, herbaceous perennial, fleshy horizontal rhizomes are formed beneath the soil which slowly creep and spread to form a lush clump over time, new shoots are produced in spring. This clump forming orchid is easy to grow preferring moist soil in part shade but can also cope with dry shade or a wetter sunnier spot. Hardy to around -20°C, winter protection will not be required.
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Key Information
| Latin Name | Spiranthes cernua |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Nodding ladies’-tresses |
| Hardiness | H6 (-15 to -20°C) |
| Colour | White |
| Format | 9cm Pots |
| Position | Part-Shade, Part-Sun |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Height in Maturity (m) | 0.60 m |
| Spread in Maturity (m) | 0.30 |
| Soil Conditions | Clay Loam, Clay Loam Aquatic |
| Soil Acidity | Acid Neutral |
| Aspect | East-facing |
| Good for Ponds | Yes |
| Good for cutting | Yes |
| Good for groundcover | Yes |
