Listera smallii (Kidneyleaf twayblade orchid)

My friend, Alan Cressler came to spend a few days with us from Atlanta with the purpose of visiting a few sites in the Pisgah National Forest, near Brevard, NC, to photograph Listera smallii, Kidneyleaf twayblade orchid. After having recently spent a field trip day at Pisgah NF with the Native Orchid Conference symposium attendees, I knew just where to take him.

We ended up finding many blooming plants, which grow near small streams under Rhododendron maximum. It's a process of getting down on hands and knees and looking under the low-growing Rhododendron limbs to find these small orchids.

Believe it or not, we were continuing to take orchid shots even at 8:00 pm! The light was wonderful, and we just couldn't pull ourselves away...